Tusk uses his rope to tie himself off to his branch (safety first!). Satisfied that he's tethered to the tree with no slack in the rope, he pulls out his handaxe and begins pruning the monolithic plant.


15:12, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 21 using 1d20+2 ((19)). Acrobatics 1

15:13, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 9 using 1d20+2 ((7)). Acrobatics 2

So I'm reasonably certain even with inspiration I am not staying upright on this attempt. Do I just keep rolling until I manage all three?

Tusk, you successfully chop down the first branch and it falls to the ground, but as you go to chop the second one you lose your balance and fall off the branch you were on only to be caught by the rope you so smartly tied to save you. I'll need you to roll me an athletics check to regain your stability on the branch (DC 12) and keep rolling Acrobatic checks for me until you either roll 15 or higher for the last two branches or if you roll less than a 15 you'll need another athletics check to regain stability once again. If at anytime you roll less than a 5 then the branch you are tied to will break and you will fall.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Tiria calls up the tree, clearly quite cross, "Leave the tree alone!"

Tusk handily detaches the first branch from the tree, but the second one he goes for is barely within his reach. He overextends, and slips off the branch. Cursing under his breath, he climbs back up, only to lose his balance a second time. The whining from below drifts upwards, and is distracting enough that as he's telling Tiria to be quiet, he loses his balance again. The third time he falls, the branch he's on breaks.

08:35, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 22 using 1d20+5 ((17)). Athletics

08:36, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 5 using 1d20+2 ((3)). Athletics, branch 2, so I used 08:37, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 2 using 1d6 ((2)). Bardic Inspiration

08:38, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 22 using 1d20+5 ((17)). Athletics

08:39, Today: Tusk Bristleback rolled 4 using 1d20+2 ((2)). Acrobatics... Snap?
At least the branch I'm on became my second one =)

Izayah, still on the ground, looked up to watch Tusk moving around the tree up above. He frowned and then started slightly, blinking and looking at Tiria when they shouted. He scratched his chin and then said, "You know...she might be right. Not sure if you should mess with the tree."

But he clearly wasn't going to try and stop Tusk either.

Elisar glanced upwards, wondering exactly how high a dwarf could climb. He also couldn’t help but wonder how good they were at falling.

Tusk tries his best to keep his balance while chopping at the branches, but doesn't seem to be doing very well. Eventually, when attempting to chop at the second branch, he goes to chop and right on the other side of the branch appearing out of seemingly thin air Tusk sees the pale transparent form of an old man. Startled by this sudden appearance Tusk loses his balance once again, but unfortunately for him the branch he is tied to is not so forgiving. As the rope is pulled tight to it the branch snaps. Tusk while in mid drop grabs hold of the broken branch and as his hand lands on one of the leaves suddenly his fall slows. The leaf his hand had landed on vanishes, but Tusk is no longer falling at full speed, instead he seems to be floating much like a feather back to ground.

Tusk, in apparent slow motion, falls rather ignominiously to the ground, where he lays for a moment gathering himself.

He gets up and brushes the snow off his clothes, looking around quickly as if trying to determine whether anyone saw him fall or not.

Irsoneic watched Tusk's fall, "Interesting. Could be also stupid. But interesting, still."

Elisar inspected the lute more thoroughly. Muttering gently to himself he sai, “Strange, no blood stains at all. How curious.”

09:58, Today: Elisar Moonraven rolled 13 using 1d20+4.  Arcana.

Izayah's eyes widened and his eyebrows shot up quickly as he watched the events unfold. He didn't even have time to....try and really do anything to stop Tusk's fall but....the fall slowed and Izayah's head tilted to the side.

When it was completed, he walked over to Tusk, smiling. "Well. That seemed like fun. Wanna go again, or we good t'get outta here?"

Tusk shakes his head sheepishly, before securing the branches.

"Yeah, I'm all set. Time to tell our employer the unfortunate truth."

Just as everyone started to talk about leaving out of no where everyone hears a voice, "Ehem," As everyone looks for the source of the voice they turn to see the form of an old man transparent and pale facing the group floating next to the feather tree. He continues to speak, "Hello, sorry to interrupt..."

With an exasperated sigh Tiria glares at Tusk before turning to face the apparition with a contrite look on her face, "Hello, I take it you are the spirit of this great tree? I apologise for my barbaric companion, he clearly doesn't understand the venerability of such a being. I hope that you can forgive his ignorance."

Mostly ignoring Tiria's unsolicited outburst, Tusk greets the apparition.
"How do you do? Carlton Honeywhisper sent us on a quest to locate a friend of his, Finnious Finestar. You wouldn't know of such a person, would you? Our best guess is that this fellow," he indicates the recent, shallow grave, "belongs to that name, but the remains were pretty difficult to properly identify."

Does this old man match the description of Finnious Finestar?

Elisar was too busy inspecting the lute to notice the appearance of the apparition. He was quite startled when the voice appeared.

He spun around, but before he could speak his companions had already begun to do so, so for the moment he kept quiet.

Tusk, yes he does.
"Finnious, that's me and you'd be right in guessing this body belongs to me. Damned wolves." He curses to the side then returns his attention to the group. "Carlton send you all after me? He is a good pal. I'm sad I probably won't get to see him again or perform. Just as well I suppose, I was never able to finish my last song. I really need to complete it, but I just don't know how I can in this form. Perhaps you lot could help me? I do believe one of you has already found the paper I was writing it on."

Elisar pondered the strange man's words for a moment, then it dawned on him. He stuffed his hand in his pocket and retrieved the small coin pouch that he had recovered from the corpse. Rifling through it he found a scrap of paper. He opened it hurriedly, revealing what appeared to be some kind of poem, or maybe song lyrics.

He held the paper up and waved it in the air. "Good Master Finestar, you are indeed correct. Your friend Master Honeywhisper did indeed entreat us to locate you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Elisar, called the Moonraven." He whipped off his hat and bowed theatrically. "I am but a humble singer of songs and teller of tales, but I know fine verse when I see it. Perhaps I could help you finish your song? I would be happy to try out your fine lute, with your blessing, or maybe I could join you with viol or flute, if you'd prefer?"

"Nice to meet you Moonraven. I would prefer to play my lute, but you are welcome to join in verse." The ghost of Finnious Finestar picks up his lute and starts to play it, then in tune to it he starts singing in a comforting voice.
"Feather Tree, oh, Feather Tree
Pillar of the World,
Stretch you branches up to the sky.
Never falter
Never fade
Never tire of the strain
Keep reaching up to the sky."

Elisar handed over the lute and quickly pulled out his viol. He listened carefully to the melody that Finnious played, and began to play an accompanying tune to complement it.

He looked over at Finnious and smiled, then began to sing himself, making up lyrics on the spot that he hoped would find favour.

"Feather Tree, Oh Feather Tree,
Pillar of the World.
Reaching to the gods above,
Your leaves all soft and curled.
Cool winds blow,
And bring the snow,
That settles on the moss below.
A carpet now of green and white,
Upon which fairies do delight."

He glanced from Finnious to his companions and back again. It wasn't his finest work but he was making it up on the spot. It was common enough game amongst performers, to take an idea and expand upon it in a kind of musical duel. Often it was used to mock your opponent to win the approval of an excited crowd, but other times it was done for the pleasure of crafting new verses on the spur of the moment. This was the latter, and he hoped his words found favour with the spirit before him.

Izayah watched, a bit warily especially at first, at the spirit as it talked to them. Then his eyes narrowed a bit as the request to help finish a song came. It could be a trick. But more likely? It was just a way to call the wolves back to try and eat them.

He sighed and turned away from the tree, walking a slow perimeter around it to watch for more hungry music-lovers.

Irsoneic listened to the song, watching and waiting to see what might come of it.

As Elisar sang his verses the ghost of Finnious listened all the while continuing to play his lute to the melody. When Elisar reached the end of his verses the ghost added in tune, "With roots growing into the snow." At that point the ghost finished his song with a grand finish from his lute then he returned his attention to the group and spoke, "What do you think? All together that is. A worthy piece of art worth performing?" The ghost seemed to eagerly be awaiting an answer from those of the group. "Excellent work, though my good sir. I couldn't have come up with better lyrics if I had done it myself."

Tusk nods his head in approval, and a faint smile splits his face.
"That was pretty good. So, what are you going to do now, being... Not... Alive, and all?"

Elisar beamed at the approval of his lyrics. “Yes, yes, that works well. I think it is a fine song, I would be proud to sing it to the masses who crave the warmth of music. I shall name it ‘The Ballad of Finnious and the Feather Tree’, what do you think?”

Then Tusk spoke. His smile dropped somewhat. “Tis a good point. Will your spirit remain here, or will you ascend to the heavens? I know little of such matters.”