Without a word Haldir makes his way back to the invisible hut, and his
companions.

"Greetins." Keeping it short and concise for the time being seemed to be the best option. After the debacle with latest beast he was worn and tired.
"There be nothin ina that book I can 'elp  with"

So at this point, the group has several options.

1. They can continue to investigate the invisible hut and the camp.

2. They can head off in the direction of the stronger darkness.

3. They can attempt to retrace the path the witch took to get here.

4. They can continue on south to see what's up with the Ents.

After taking this moment to uncover the hut but still the witch surely got away by now with all the newcomers showing up.  They might of even hampered the fact of tracking her down.

But still there was the mission of the Ents still in place.  The reason why they were heading in this direction.

"Will you all be joining us to help the Ents?

"The ents must be helped," Gwyn responded with a nod of agreement.

  After the introductions, Sky followed Gwen outside.

"Is there no way to hunt the witch?" Borun asked. "If not, I guess that we may as well seek out the ents."

         At hearing the Dwarf's query, Hadir replies . . .

         "The Witch hath more the likely returned from whence she came.  It would
then be reasonable to assume that her tracks from whence sha arrived here wouldst
take us there.  Though there be a slight chance that I could be wrong."   

Lainadan disagrees.
"The Ents can wait. That's all they do anyways," he scoffs. "The witch is a more important problem that demands our attention right away."

She looked at the newcomer "If that is your theory then you may go ahead and search for her. The rest of us shall be heading to our destination. And that will be to help the Ents "

She then began to walk toward where her mount was and then proceed to prepare to leave with or without the rest. They were sent each on missions to complete and she wasn't going to fail hers.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:17, Tue 07 Oct 2014.

Sky spoke up. "Nightbreeze might be able to find her scent? Is there anything around that belonged to her?" Sky then had a thought she cast Whispering lore and laid on the ground. "Oh land so precious to me could you tell me which direction an evil witch has departed to.? Or could you tell me how far and where in your beautiful land she is?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:29, Tue 07 Oct 2014.

Since it seems likely that the witch left the area via teleport or something similar, Nightbreeze isn't going to be able to pick up the scent of where she went, but he has no problem finding the scent of the trail that brought her here.

It does seem likely that the witch went back to wherever she came from, which was somewhere to the east.

Sky's Whispering Lore spell only helps her focus on her knowledge of nature, and it probably wouldn't have been necessary for her to detect the same 'trail of darkness' that heads off to the south... essentially in the direction of the Ents that are in trouble. However, the spell does let her realize that the invisible hut isn't natural (invisibility notwithstanding). In fact, it has such an incongruous aspect that she's pretty sure it's actually some sort of magical item... a cross between the Tiny Hut spell and a portable hole.

It does not seem to have been made from dark magic, though.


The book's title was Torshon's Alkhemaria. The 'potion' that the witch had been brewing had been titled Torshon's Pyroclastic Cloud... some advanced form of the Incendiary Cloud spell. That she was brewing an entire cauldron of it does not bode well, particularly for a forest. The good news was that she hadn't finished it. If she had, it could have laid waste to the entire forest, burning all the trees and plants, killing all life, and making it a desolate place suitable only for orcs and their kind.

It is possible that this was the threat to the Ents, but probably not. It does seem like there might be a connection, though. The threat to the Ents was more dire, at least Radagast had implied that.

Not waiting she headed out toward the Ents.

"Well I am thinking the witch teleported, but the hut isn't evil magic at all. Let me inspect it a bit then we can head tword the Ents. ,said Sky.

 Sky pulled out a scroll of identify. She read it and cast the spell on the hut. Sky hoped she could get at least a bit of information or at least keep the hut for use later. " I also think we should dispose of this brew. It could harm the forest in a major way."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:35, Wed 08 Oct 2014.

The cauldron of brew got knocked over in the battle, sending an incendiary cloud into the air around the area. That's how they know the potion hadn't been completed yet, as the pyroclastic cloud potion was ten times worse... or so the book said.

Sky's use of the Identify spell enables her to figure out that the hut can be turned into a small cube simply by knocking on the door three times... as long as no one is inside. However, in that state, it is an extra-dimensional space, so she can't put it into her haversack without destroy both the hut and the haversack.


The dark path heads in the direction of the Ents. Is that the way the group is going?

In reply to Azurak the Blue (msg # 22):

Sky raps on the door three times and watches it shrink into a cube. She then puts it in her sack and says. "Well this might come in handy. Shall we follow the Ents? . " ,she asked the others.

Born shrugged. "I am ready to go where I am most needed."

Lainadan sighs. He knows he must stick with the group.
"You're right. The Ents do need our help."

         Haldir, not wishing to waste any additional time,  empathically calls Sting
to his shoulder heading into the forest in the very same direction that Gwynhwyfar had
gone.

         It isn't long afterwards that the pseudo-dragon lands upon his friends
shoulder.  As the Elven Ranger Magus makes his way down the trail, his emerald orbs
continually flit about in an attempt to locate any adversaries or threats within his
rustic surroundings . . .
This message was last edited by the player at 00:18, Wed 15 Oct 2014.

Lady Isile had taken the lead, relying on her instincts rather than following an actual trail to take her to the Ents. She was also going by direction and by the miasma that seemed to be leading her that way.

The others soon caught up to her, and everyone was feeling the taint on the land now. It seemed to be getting stronger as they went.

The Keepers had gone maybe 2 miles when they began to notice a physical change in the environment. Tree branches and leaves were sagging, bushes and other ground plants looked parched and shriveled. The bark on the trees looked diseased and blighted.

The area of miasma was about a hundred yards wide until you reach this new area. Now it starts widening as does the blighted area.

Borun looked around at the dying plants and scowled. "The forest is sick," he muttered. "No wonder the ents are upset."

       The blight upon the land disheartened Haldir, and in order to get his mind
off of what he had seen, he continued to search out any threats or foes as he
moved along the forest trail . . .

Haldir's perception seems to be dulled at first by the sight of blighted trees and plants, perhaps moreso as he realizes that the trees and plants aren't dying from the blight, but are being disfigured, transformed into something twisted and evil.

But then he catches sight of a warg. Perhaps he ventured a bit further in one direction than was expected, or perhaps the warg got careless. Once he spotted the one warg, though, it was as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes. He caught glimpses of other ones, on both sides of the trail. He can't be sure how many, as they slip in and out of view. He's guessing at least a dozen.

And then he caught sight of one of the riders--a pale ghostly image that seemed to fade in and out depending on the light--the play of shadows from clouds and wind-blown branches.


Familiars and animal companions are seeing these same things about now.

        Upon having spotted their foes while scouting upon the trail, Haldir
quickly whispers to his companions, "Hide at the now!"

        As the warning escapes his lips, the Ranger Magus immediately hides as
quietly as possible within the closest cover that could be found in the nearby
surrounding forest.  Sting follows his companions example as quick as the flick
of a coney's tail . . .  When the Elf is finally behind the cover he had sought
out, he readies his bow for action  . . .
This message was last edited by the player at 12:58, Thu 23 Oct 2014.

It should be Haldir's favored terrain, but he's never been in such an area where everything is blighted, half-alive, half-dead, with a pall of gloom over it all. (A good explanation for those low rolls!)

However, he does get the impression that maybe the wargs were herding the group... or at least willing to leave them alone as long as they were going in the 'right' direction.