"Of course I remember you, you're unforgettable" she replied with a wry grin.
She looked up, glancing towards Nym and then in the direction of Celindara and the altar.

"I think they're all gone now" she said.  "Better get back to Celindara."

She made to lift the pack up again and paused.
"Thanks.  For reminding me what was real back there" she said with a smile.

"Yay!" said Many happily, both to Meri's sentiment on the little beholder being unforgettable, and obviously being able to move around again. The little beholder shrugged off the cloak he had still been partially wrapped up in, and floated and spun around, letting his eyestalks spin out of his head. The eyestalks themselves seemed to get dizzy, while Many remained happy and bouncy.

"Yay!" he said again in general joy, then looked around for Nym. "Hello!" he said happily, waving dizzy eyestalks at the changeling, so they spun oddly. "I got bored when Tih-meh left so-ah ah spoke to da potions. Mih-stah Skull and Mih-sehs Pur-pul ah now mah-reed. SO only drink-ah them toh-geh-ther." Many nodded solemly then giggled.

Then he realised something, then came back. "Ah mean ah did not see anything in Meri's bag, cause there was no-ah lite. Ny-uh." Many then shook and nodded his head equally solemnly, looking shifty.


At that particular moment, Timur found that the skeletal construct he was on suddenly became eratic. It totters forwards. then backwards, and then very slowly toppled. The sudden lack of control could have been because of the final shuddering death of the strange worm-like blight mass that had been the merged teacher and dark creeper. Clearly the source of the magic of the construct had been the creeper leader, and without his essence around the construct simply ceased.

Timur was thrown clear in to the blight water. [Secret to Meri: However, the experience had left its mark on Meri and Timur's bond. After the connection with the construct, it felt as if co-ordinating with the homonculous was almost effortless.]

[Private to Meri: Take the Active Familiar feat and a bonus feat for your experience - you already said how you felt the construct connection was a justification for taking it. Nym got the familiar feat as a bonus feat, but the other wish has remained unexploited for now, so I'm happy to do it this way instead! Remmeber the +1 to defenses Timur gets. Also, don't think of it just about combat - combined with the 5lb carrying feat, Timur is now getting viable at extending your range for doing non-combat skill actions during a battle. Given you earned a third of the total XP for the final battle when you did the non-combat action of stealingthe construct, you might see that skill challenges are a viable strategy sometimes :)

Also, your call whether Timur gets thrown forwards and so is still in range, or thrown backwards out of range. Depends if you have an idea to pay off the getting out of 10 squares range yet! Wait, or is it 20? Doens't matter, he's thrown that distance if you need him to be!]

Nym looks around somewhat dazedly as Many floats into her field of vision.

"Oh...hello..." she says, blinking a few times. But she seems to become more focused as Many continues to talk, describing his grand adventures in the depths of Meri's backpack. When he finishes, she is silent for a moment as though trying to remember how to talk.

"Oh...can you make like light now?" she asks at last, with a tone of eager curiosity.

Meri shouldered her backpack again and looked around, then back at Many.
"So either you can see in the dark or make light?" she suggested with a grin.  "That's nothing to be worried about.  Either of them can be quite handy, and..."

She broke off and looked around at the sound of the Construct collapsing to the ground.
"Hmm, well, I suppose keeping that thing around would have been too good to be true" she remarked before moving over to pick Timur out of the water, holding him at various angles to let the water drain out again.
"I think we're getting used to working together even when we're apart though" she mumbled to herself idly.  "Wonder how that..."

She trailed off, looking thoughtful there before sitting Timur on her shoulder and moving over to where the tentacled creature had fallen.
Pausing only to kick the Teacher skull away from it, she grabbed her staff and pulled it out, wrinkling her nose in disgust as she examined the tip for damage and then washed it off in the water.
Then she turned her attention to the glowing red stone left behind by the Nothic, poking cautiously at it with her staff...


OOC: Would it be Arcana or Nature to figure out exactly what this thing is?  (Leaning more towards Arcana, since it doesn't really look natural...)


[Private to The Altweaver: Yay, free feat! :D  *happydances*
By the way, would Timur's move speed be the same as Meri's?]
This message was last edited by the player at 19:41, Sat 22 Oct 2016.

I'll give you the Arcana knowledge for free (since it's a reward). If you can roll a Nature check at a Hard DC, I might hint at something else cool about it. But don't worry too much about failing it, just a nice bonus if you get it :)

[Private to Meri: Timur has a speed of 5. And yes, extra feats are good :)

The thing is probably what's left of the creature's heart, or else it was where the magic was centred. Although Meri has less familiarity with Nature magic, and less still with Divine, many of the core concepts and methods are the same. The fact the creature ripped this out of itself while still alive would most likely break whatever magic was being invoked, so the item itself should be harmless and not allow any secondary effects form whatever was petitioned. More importantly, it seems to be the centre of the magic, and so will be rich in magical energy. With a few normal purification powders or rituals to ensure there are no harmful magics, the thing should be very serviceable as a potent compound for potions or magical items.

The comment about purifying it is just fluff, however Meri would test it will be costless, something she has on her for such purposes, and will show the thing has no harmful elements. So yeah, basically just a 500gp ball of crafting goodness that can be gobbled up bit by bit or used entirely for a single project.]

Many looked hopefully to both Nym then Meri, and then danced around. "Oh-kay!" he said relieved, then startled skimming along the ground, as if to look for things with his new powers. He wasn't using his eyestalks, he seemed to be trying with his central eye. After a moment he looked puzzled, then looked around. "Awww, its already light!" he said disappointed, realising he would need to wait for later. For a moment he looked speculatively to Nym and Meri's backpacks, but then shook his head vigourously to himself. Clearly the cramped conditions over the last day was not worth checking his newly developing power.

He puzzled quickly around Timur to make sure the little metal man had survived being big ('tell me later ah-bout be-ing big!') and then buzzed around Nym. "Is Wuff-fel-es oh-kay?" he asked.

OOC: Nature check: 17 (6 + 11), hmm, middling...
Do Beholders usually get low-light vision or darkvision, or is that something he inherited from us?


Meri poked at the stone a couple more times, then pulled off her backpack again and reached for the small toolbox she carried.
Taking out a thin violet-coloured crystal rod with a delicate pattern of silvery metal wrapped around it from a small padded box containing several others of different colours, she reached down and tapped sharply on the stone with this.  A few white sparks were emitted and a faint ringing sound was heard for a few seconds, while the rod glowed softly.

Meri examined the tip of the rod, then put it back into the box and tucked it back into her pack again.
Picking up the stone, she wrapped it in a piece of scrap cloth and placed it into her pack, pulling it onto her shoulders and picking up her staff again.

"Well, better go see if Celindara needs any help" she said, looking at Nym and Many and turning to move off towards the altar...


OOC: Unless someone else has anything to say to her, she'll head off to where Celindara is now :)

Yeah, sorry, bonus info will have to be stumbled upon later on, or you can always ask me about it if you use up the stone on something.

[Private to Meri: If you remember earlier Many's central eye was glowing blue, and I conjectured it might be to do with the anti-magic of the central eye. It could just be harmless light, but then blue is Meri's colour, and Nym is the one with light abilities. Many does have the ability to see in low light with an eyestalk - hence why he could see in the very faint light of his central eye - and in dark with another. However, he could not have made out the fine detail of potions with dark vision, as it's in black and white. Hence why he would have got bored when he was worried about the light giving anything away to enemies outside.

I believe I used the dark vision / low light vision on his two eyestalks to point out he does seem to be inheriting characteristics form bother of you, yet also his beholder heritage too.

Anyway, something to keep an eye on (haha) because if it is anti-magic, that affects you two if you are near him. And Many's abilities seem to keep more in line with your magics not beholder natural magics. Beholders who want to use huamn spell casting tend to have to blind themselves. I think I mentioned that before too :(]

I have a fairly decent Nature skill so you could always get Nym to have a look at it if you want ;).
If low-light/darkvision is something Many inherited, it's not from me because I don't have either of those ;). That said, Low Light Adaptation is a handy Feat which I might take at a later point (it's one of the general ones and I don't think it has any particular requirements for taking it).

Even as Many approaches Nym again to ask about her familiar, a multi-coloured set of qhiskers emerges from the middle of the changeling's robes, followed by a twitching nose and the rest of the multi-coloured weasel-ish creature, who squirms her way up onto Nym's right shoulder where she half sits, half hangs with her rear end draped down Nym's back while her whiskery nose hovers near Nym's ear.

Nym, for her part, doesn't really react to the re-emergence of her familiar but puts her head to one side as though listening once the weasel is in place. She smiles and gives a faint giggle, but not the same kind of giggle as the ones that she had been giving throughout the fight. She looks over toward Meri.

"Oh yes, we probably should, shouldn't we?" she says, and looks over at Many. "Hi, Many!" she calls, giving a little wave. "Oh yes, you were there already, weren't you? It's funny, everything seems to have moved really fast just now. I thought there were lots of scary Blighty-creature-thingys but they all seem to have run away, or something. Still, at least that means we can do whatever we were going to do to make the Blight go away so this place can be all lovely again, right?"

As she talks, she starts walking toward the altar that Celindara has been purifying.

Low light comes from Meri, Dark vision from beholders. Whether Many's new light ability comes from Nym, is perhaps something to discuss with Many, or maybe Meri :)

"Yay, heh-loh!" said Many to Nym's familiar, waving his eyestalks vigourously and happily. He seems a little surprised at Nym's renewed greeting, but waves happily once more. As Nym continues, Many looks a little worried, but gives an overly wide smile and too vigouous head nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, gooh, gooh," he says, gently hovering beside Nym and trying to guide her along with his eyestalks while his main eye looks worriedly across to Meri.

When it becomes clear that Nym's head isn't going to fall off, nor the sorcerer explode, Many relaxes a little and starts happily talking about everything in Meri pack. He starts by exagerating a little, looking across to Timur for confirmation, and ends by probably discussing his dreams. Unless Meri's backpack really does contain a landscape of delicious honey a little beholder could glide along, gulping away madly for hours.


The Trickster had been snuffling around the battlefield once Meri seemed to be alright after her fall. With Nym oddly distant, and nothing else moving, The Trickster seemed to get restless and growly. The Trickster seemed to notice its own unaccustomed frustration, and happily shrugged off the wolf persona. It was as if the wolf shrugged off a wolf-skinned coat, and while the head was the same size, a little fox body emerged and dropped in to the muck. The wolf 'coat' just fell apart and disappeared in to the black water. The Trickster then sneezed, as its oversized head was barely above water, and after a small splash of water Mr Fox was again  standing there. Oddly, despite being submerged before, he was now standing on the water as if the black water was just slick but solid ground. The fox then walked happily along with the group.



As the group got closer, one of the titans - the tallest and spindliest - stalked in to view. It was smashing something repeatedly off the ground, a black dripping shape, but otherwise that seemed to be one of the last signs of battle now. The titan noted the group, and amazingly stopped and gave a step backwards respectfully to allow them to pass.

Beyond was the solid square lump that Celindara had clambered over. There were signs that some small creatures had broke through once or twice. Whatever they were - they seemed like some cross between a zombie rat and a spider - Goodwin had put paid to most of them, though his face was covered in splashes of blood. Still, he seemed in good enough health, and seemed genuinely pleased - even moved - when he spotted the group coming close.

He tapped Celindara on the shoulder, luckily not the one that also showed a small scar. "I'm not crying, just because you're alive. It's just blood in my eye, hahaow, no wait, that is blood. Ow. Ooow." Goodwin put his splattered swrd down and doubled up as he tried to wipe the now stinging blood from his eyes.

Celindara managed to keep a little more composure, though clearly her demeanour was more childish glee than serene dryad. "You're alive! I knew you would be, though you faced those monsters before anyone could stop you. I worried, but Goodwin said he say explosions and I realised nothing could stand against us. Look!"

Celindara turned and pointed to the stone altar. All the blight had been burned away, and it looked less like stone now and instead incredible weathered yet preserved ashen oak. A design that had been hidden by thick blight was now properly revealed, it was the seashell -like symbol of Melora, glowing in a healthy green glow. The thrum of it was audible, and growing deeper by the moment. [Secret to Meri: Though Meri thought, for a second, she could still see the residue of the swirling sign from the Krunluc the Maddened's crate. The symbol, if one of The Shadow's was to be believed, of Thrazidum. Still, the power of Melora burned even the ghost of the symbol away, blasting the desecration clean. Clearly this Thrazidum was not all powerful.]

Celindara turned back triumphantly, giddy as if she could not believe it. Now there were tears in her eyes. "The cult is banished! Their hold on this world destroyed!"

[Private to Nym: And your Insight is high enough and you are paranoid enough that I will just say that, yes, Celindara seems genuine (as does Goodwin). The whole cuts and scraps and blood is not some evil ploy for them to be secretly infected, just me with some colour, they all seem themselves and happy. Honest! This is a full win :)]

Anyway, I'll give you a moment to react and ask any questions before I do the final post or two with all the treasure handing out and so forth.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:39, Mon 24 Oct 2016.

Nym giggles at Many's descriptions and seems eager to ask him for details, though is temporarily distracted by the sound of sneezing from the Trickster. She stares in awe as he "shakes off" his wolf appearance and reverts to that of the fox.

"Oh, do you want to ride on m...oh...um, never mind..." says Nym as the Trickster splashes around in the water before giving himself the ability to stand on top of it. "Wow, it would be fun if I could do that." she says. "Maybe I will, one day..."

She gives the Trickster one last look to make sure he's okay before continuing toward the altar.

"Oooh, hello again!" she calls happily as she catches sight of Goodwin and Celindara, waving at them as she does so. "Oh yes, you were going to make the thingy all not icky, weren't you? Hey, it's looking much better! It's all glowy...that's good, right? It looks good. I mean, where it's all green, it sort of feels like it's supposed to be like that. Which is good. So did your magical tree-magic work on it, then?"

"I don't remember packing honey before we left" Meri mused to herself with a wry grin before looking over the scene as they approached Celindara's position.

Her expression hardened slightly as she caught sight of the fading symbol that had previously occupied the place where Melora's icon was now visible.
"Did you hear the name the Teacher shouted out before?" she asked.  "Back when I told Blace that I knew the name of the one the Shadow had referred to as a Chained God, and said I had seen his name, put there to tempt me into speaking it in the portal room.  That was the name I heard, the one they called on for the power they hoped would destroy us.  Seems like the Teachers and their kind are more related to our own initial investigation than I suspected."

Her grim look remained for a moment before she glanced back at where they had been fighting earlier and then relaxed a little.
"Still, at least he and his minions have one less hold on our world now."


OOC: Evil Big Badness lurks everywhere...  (O.o)'
This message was last edited by the player at 17:33, Mon 24 Oct 2016.

In deference to Nym's offer, when the group got close to Celindara, Mr Fox jumps on Nym's head to see exactly what was going on, with Many zipping around to see around people's legs.


To Meri, Celindara looked confused for a moment, and then smiled widely. "No, I did not hear any foul name. That is perhaps a blessing, for the symbol alone tried to confuse and distract me. Luckily Goodwin was on hand."

It appeared that perhaps the half-elf was forgiven by Celindara, for standing by her and aiding her to free her land from the blight. Goodwin had the good grace to look embarrassed and say nothing. Or perhaps he was still not quite able to focus on anything after poking himself in the eye. "...nothing!" he said quietly, waving one hand and wiping tears or blood from his eyes with the other. "Ow. Not again..."

Celindara again gestured grandly. "It does not matter that your own quest is intimately connected with my own losses and now victory. For that would not be the reason to offer you aid whenever I can, nor friendship forever. No, I owe you a personal debt, as does this forest. It is not for self interest or the common good, it is through your own selfless actions in this battle that you have earned this. I must help the forest, now it can heal. But whatever is in my power to grant you is yours. You have my pledge to help you fight this chained god you have spoken of. He has taken much from this world, and from myself."

As if to confirm, the rest of the group came hobbling back. The fey panther looked very bad, seemingly having lost a limb and also taken a claw across one of its eyes. Still, it limped forwards with pride. The female alpha seemed confused or sad that The Trickster was nowhere to be seen, and ignored the fox on Nym's head. She seemed badly hurt, and only had one of the two powerful wolves with her.

The blight cloaks were piled back by Nym and Meri's feet, as if a silent tribute or thanks, and the panther and alpha piled them down. Goodwin also managed to come forward to plant the other two on the ground, giving a small thumbs up regarding them.

That's your five cloaks back, the other three are in your possession I believe for Nym, Meri and Many?

The titans moved forwards with a smaller amount of wolves than went out. The titans seemed to be carrying four legged bodies reverently, and placed them on the ground near the other side of the altar. The alpha padded round to the largest, but when she howled all the wolves howled with her. The sound echoed strangely, as the hum of the altar was growing louder.

My Fox sniffed the air, and apparently didn't like something. Perhaps grief didn't sit well with him, or perhaps it was something else, but he hopped down in to the water and vanished, as he had once before in the forest.

Celindara did not appear to notice the grief, and was looking to her hands and the air as if she could see something. She looked to Nym. "This does feel right. Something... something is coming..."


Well that sounds ominous! [Private to Nym: Some powerful natural magic is building up, something ancient and elemental, but not arcane...]


The pulsing of the altar grew brighter and brighter as all the group, living and dead, were so close. The howl of the wolves made the howl of the altar - or was it the roar of an ocean, the boom of a storm? - increase tenfold.

And then, suddenly, the altar exploded-

- green light flooded the chamber, a physical thing pushing all the blight away, yet not shifting a single hair on a head or flank -

 - the air was flooded with shards of ashen splinters, and yet not a single one touched the skin or clothing of those assembled -

 - the loudest bang rang out, and yet it was as if it was heard from another country away -

 - and something enormous took its place.


The blight above was blown even further apart, making way, disintegrated in to nothing. The chamber around was torn open to beyond the range of sight, to allow its expansion. The ground beneath was shattered and disappeared, to allow it to burrow down far.

The group should have tumbled in to unfathomable depths created by the destruction of the blight, and yet instead the juxtaposition was almost perfect. Even as a thick, dark brown trunk suddenly appeared and pushed towards the group, roots were shooting out - each as thick as a house - providing support underfoot. And then the roots were not roots, but branches, cradling every single person around as the true roots pushed downwards and the trunk grew and grew and pushed upwards.

Somewhere in the chaos, the hidden insides of the altar had been pushed out. Celindara was cradled and gently moved towards Meri and Nym, along with Goodwin. There was a body - ancient, dressed like a druid - that was cradled and rested in the centre of the group with a small chest at its feet, careworn staff cradled in its skeletal grip. The greenery sheltered most of the stragest sights around, yet it was clear that the rest of the group was also being cradled and sheltered in small leafy 'bowls' too, whether alive or dead.

In only a few moments, with a rushing of air and creaking of wood, the group were standing upon the branch of a tree of unfathomable size. They were only not standing on top of the world because the tree was planted to deeply in to the world. However, it still appeared to to be tall, tall enough to be the largest thing in the forest now. Tall enough to have been noticed, most likely, in Blackwood village, and in the fey lands beyond.

The group themselves were in a branch that was 'only' several stories above what had been the destroyed lake. The lake was now, once more vibrant and moving. Instead now, it was a carpet of undulating leaves that made it look like an emerald lake in the falling light.

From the height the group were at, they could see through the leafy canopy of their surroundings that there was a small group braving the leaves, and finding the canopy taking their weight perfectly. It was the abandoned portion of their warband, the two titans very obvious.

And meanwhile, visible occasionally in the cracks of leaves, it could be seen that the titans on the tree were beginning to move around. They seemed unphased by the occurance, and were picking up wolves and gently climbing down. And it was just as obvious that there was movement in not only the wolves remaining, but ones that had until recently not seemed to be destined to move again.

It took a moment to realise that the group's own injuries were gone,each having not a mark on them, nor speck of blight nor dirt not blood.

So, you know, all that text just means you get everything back already as if you'd rested for the night. Oh, and maybe if you want to level up too, go ahead. I'm sure brushes with the divine and mind expanded feats of magic can have a habit of being inspiring :p


Celindara looked around with wonder, up and down the tree, and all around at the land and the new 'lake'. She looked to the companions, and said simply, her voice heavy with emotion, "It's a World Tree. Melora be praised!"


Ok, maybe not so ominous after all :)

Nym giggles as the Trickster climbs onto her head - the weasel on her shoulder looks up and twitches her nose a few times in what seems a friendly manner but otherwise shows no particular reaction. Nym then seems rather mor distracted with looking at the altar to really notice the somewhat painful and/or sad approach of most of the rest of the group. And as the altar glows more and more she seems to become even more excited, looking across at the similarly excited Celindara.

"Oooh, it's all nature-y, isn't it?" she says. "Maybe it's some kind of..."

She's cut off from saying anything more, however, by the sudden...arrival...of the area's natural magical forces. She laughs aloud as the enormous tree grows and takes shape around them, apparently enjoying the gentle ride upward. And when it's done, she looks out at the view and gives a wave...at the world in general, apparently.

"Wheeee!" she calls happily. "Wow, I've never seen a tree this big before! It's huuuuge! Look how high up we are!"

She looks around as Celindara identifies the newly-formed arboreal phenomenon.

"Wow, that sounds impressive!" she replies, sounding suitably impressed in the process. "What's a World Tree? Is it called that because it's the biggest type of tree in the world? Or because it's like a world all in itself? Or maybe it's from all the way down at the bottom of the world, like it was holding it up or something...I mean, it's a very big tree. I wonder how it all fit down there...unless it was just a seed and it all just grew really super-fast just now. Wow, and the Blight was covering this up? How come it never grew before? Or, I mean, if the Blight covered up the lake and we got rid of the Blight and now there's a tree here, does that mean the tree was getting ready to grow anyway and we just speeded it up a bit?"

Wooo, much excite, very tree :D.

Meri looked around at the ground below from their sudden new position atop the tree.
"Well...  That was unexpected" she remarked, though with wide-eyed look of something approaching an almost childlike wonder at what the Blight-infested land had become in so short a time.

She reached up to undo the black cloak from around her neck, moving carefully to avoid aggravating her injured ribs again, but then paused and ran a hand over her chest, realising movement no longer hurt so much.
At the same time she noticed that the 'dead' wolves seemed to be getting up and moving again, no trace of their injuries.

"Never been much of a believer in miracles" she murmured quietly.  "Then again, my master was always fond of telling me I still had much to learn..."

She shrugged off the cloak and tossed it onto the pile with the others, looking over at Celindara.
"So did this grow from the altar?" she asked, adding to Nym's rapid-fire questions.


OOC: Much tree, very excite. :D  (Yeah, that's kind of what passes for excitement for Meri!)
So do I get an AP here too?  Like an extended rest?
This message was last edited by the player at 15:03, Tue 25 Oct 2016.

Celindara beams at the joy and wonder being shared.

"I think I'm going to be sick," whimpers Goodwin, apparently caught a little short by the movement of the tree. But even he seems to be impressed by the tree and the view. Many buzzes around him to distract him, or at least tries, although Many's insistence on pointing out the really interesting stuff straight down perhaps makes Goodwin look as green as the leaves once more.

Celindara looks to Meri and Nym. "The World Tree is a tale of my people, I suppose a myth to me, but I believed the elders who spoke of it. A tree like this is said to cross the boundaries of worlds, anchoring this one in place and spreading its roots and branches to the feywild, the planes of the elementals, even the astral plane where some lost dwell before the Gods find them. The ancient battles saw the World Tree shattered. That is why it is so hard for any fro mthe feywild to come across now. It... it was why I could greet no new sisters, nor find a wake back to anyone else."

Celindara seems to sober up, having said the true potential of the gift from Melora. "New sisters can come here, now. Water and heat and new earth and fresh air can flow back to the forest. Those spirits cut off from natre and wandering lost can come back. When this tree truly grows, that which the Blight destroyed can be healed. And if this is truly the World Tree, then a great and ancient wrong has been allowed to be put right!"

Celindara beams and tears up, but then one worrying thought crosses her mind. "This demon, this chained god of yours. He must have truly broken the natural order, for Melora to have been able to act so directly."

Celindara shrugged the concern off, and looked to the ancient body. "There was no tree, no seed here. At least, not in any sense you understand it. Devotion and connection, that is what was in the altar. The last selfless act of the last of the druids of the First Place. That connection, that power, is what these Teachers wished to take and pervert. They must have wanted my connection to access the altar. Instead their practises merely ensured the power could flow out, unlocked with a true heart not a perverted one, and Melora uses the concentration of it to work her will, and create this miracle!"

Celindara brushed a tender hand across the head of the ancient skeleton, and seemed surprised and saddened when the body finally crumbled to dust that blew away. And then she seemed to understand.

"The druid has passed on, and their possessions and devotion are free to pass on too."

Celindara picked up the robe, and held it out to Nym. "It seems in the style of your clothing. Would you wear this to remember the one who passed, and do great deeds in their name?"

Celindara then picked up a thin, worn staff. It looked decrepit, but Meri did not need a connection to nature to feel the power still locked in the ancient wood even when it was in Celindara's hands. Celindara offered it to Meri. "This staff is like the owner, dead and yet still holds a trapped power. I am sure you could make it as it once was, but I believe Melora and the druid could not be angry if instead its power was used to create a new legacy in some new weapon against this ancient enemy, this demon god of the blighted ones."

Ok, so Nym, you have been gifted a druid robe that is actually a Level 7 Deep-Pocket Cloak +2, worth 2600gp. Who knew? I wonder why I chose that :p There might be something of a surprise inside the robe, but I'll let Nym play around with it before I reveal that.

And Meri, this is a Level 5 Ruined Staff of the Dryad, worth 1000gp. It's basically the same as the boots of the sane name, and offers not offensive capabilities, and instead is for better travel through forests. While you could restore it to its former glory, what it is actually for is using as a magic item crafting component :) So enjoy it and use it wisely!

Many looks around to Goodwin, then looks around to Celindara. He nods and nudges in the half elf's direction, however Goodwin is still ill enough not to notice, and besides Celindara is now looking ot the chest that was at the foot of the druid's body.


I'll give you two a chance to react to the items, and ask questions and trees and items, and then move on to the chest. Nothing amazing inside, but still more fun treasure stuff you earned, which is good enough, right? :)

"Oooh! Really?" asks Nym as Celindara offers her the cloak. "Wow, yes, I'm happy to take it. Thanks!"

She eagerly reaches out to take the offered item of clothing, pausing after having done so and looking down at the spot where the skeleton had lain mere moments previously.

"Um, thanks, dead druidy person." she says. "I'll look after it!"

She then crouches down and unslings her pack from her shoulders so as to don the new cloak, but pauses when she realises she's still wearing the black cloak found in the Blighted region.

"Oh, yes...ick..." she mutters, shrugging it off and replacing it with the rather less dull-looking druidic cloak. She happily runs her hands over the new cloak, enjoying the fabric, and then does a double-take and pulls it open to look more closely at something.

"Ooooh..." she says, mostly to herself. "It's got pockets!"

Oh yes, one thing I thought of yesterday but forgot to mention - we got a free equivalent of an Extended Rest from the tree growing, right? So does that mean I get to reroll my Wild Soul stuff?

Sorry, forgot to reply to that for Meri - yup, you both may as well act as if you've just had an extended rest. Arcane Empowerment uses reset, APs reset to 1, health is restored, all your syrges come back, all your encounter powers and dailies are restored, all your magic items are refreshed, and Nym, appropriate for the new cloak, you can reroll your familiar and wild soul - that will carry on in to the next 'day'

I'm sort of presuming you two not really sleeping too much overnight. I have a feeling :p

[Private to Nym: Inside the pockets, Nym will find lots of little nick-knacks. There will be a tarnished silvered holy symbol, like the sea shell from the altar. It's worth 10gp. There's also lots of little things like candle snuffers, incense dishes, etc. Basically the paraphernalia of worship, with some moderate if faded decoration. In total they are worth 2-gp, and you can probably trade them in place of money if you're buying mundane things. Or give them away to people or something, Whatever :)]

"I'm not sure it was entirely the Chained God alone who broke the natural order" replied Meri quietly with a noticeably worried look towards the ground below in the approximate direction of the Stonebridge Falls.

She seemed to welcome the distraction of the staff, looking it over, her fingers running softly over the wood grain with a thoughtful look.


OOC: oops, I think we broke the world, hehe.

If Celindara caught the ominousness of the previous comment, it did not register, for she was now looking inside the chest. She pulled out a small collection of items, placing one before her and distributing the rest.

"These are three of the Fey Gods," she said, handing out statues that depicted small silver humanoids, in what once must have been exquisite detail, though time had not been kind to the statues and their more intricate work had been smoothed and tarnished.

To NYm, she handed something that looked like a small satyr. [Private to Nym: It's actually a Korred https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/..._%26_Dragons)#Korred] "This is Dahm, son of Queen Titinia, and is the deity of dance, song, and celebration. He is the symbol of joy in life, and yet he is also the fiercest defender of the fey realm when someone intrudes." The little figure is depicted with musical instruments and a smiling face, but is holding aloft a wicked cudgel too.

To Meri, she handed a stag. "This is Oberan, consort to Queen Titania. He is the deity of nature, but also an ally to the elven gods Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moonbow. All fey pray to him for protection."

And to Goodwin, to the delight of Many, Celindara finally presented something. It seemed small than the others. "And this is Squelaiche, the Court Jester to the Seelie Court."

Goodwin gave a look, and said, "Thank you?" as if wondering if he was the butt of some joke.

Celindara did laugh, but it was a warm inclusive laugh. "Squelaiche is considered the most handsome of the leprichaun. More importantly, he is the only one who may speak impudently to Queen Titania, and is the deities of tricks and illusions. I think you have a good heart, and all that has been between us is forgiven, and all you have done for this forest through your own will alone will not be forgotten."

Goodwin seemed a little more relieved and flushed. He then looked ot the statue properly. "Wow," he said, "it seems solid silver. That must be...several hundred pieces worth at least..." He then seemed awkward, and said, "Umm, I mean..." He sighed. "I mean, maybe Nym should look after it for a while for me. You know, haha, I still have a mission, and the fey might think I stole it if they found it on me. I'd...I'd hate to have to sell it... so as not to be caught with it... you know..."

Goodwin reluctantly handed it over to Nym, with one of his palms subconsciously itching as he let it go. He almost seemed relieved once he fell back.

Celindara did not seem to take any offence, perhaps buying the story Goodwin said. Instead she was focusing upon a wide wooden bowl, with worn decoration of leaf and dancing fey. She took two small stopped vials from belt, and took some liquid from the very bottom. She handed the two flasks to Goodwin. "There is still some small waters in this font. Those who drank from it were said to look upon any around with more favour and kindness. It was used to pacify any intruders brought to the rulers, yet it was also drunk by ruler and envoy to prove good faith when speaking. It might aid you in your mission, if you will still undertake it."

Goodwin took the two vials, but already his mind was working out the ramification. "Both...take the drink. Ah, hmm, I see, good faith, yes, that sounds amazing, I can see how people would want that, yes, I suppose...when you're more ameniable to each other you wouldn't...lie...as much? Hmm, sounds...good...yes... no..."

Goodwin surreptitiously handed Meri the vials as he spoke, but it seemed as if Celindara was distracted by something as he spoke, and didn't notice.


So there we go, you have between you three statues worth about 300sp each, although together as a set they are worth 100gp. The two potions are actually Potions of Friendship, their power is listed on the items thread, but basically they make someone who drinks it friendly to others for about an hour.

You may spot a subtle cost difference between 'normal' treasure you can use for services and the stuff more likely to be used/traded for magic items. Magic items are rare and powerful enough in their ways that yes, you are already at a level that you could effectively buy a village. Although, of course, magic items are only worth that insome ephemeral way of their difficulty to craft, good luck actually using an amulet to buy 500gp's worth of food from someone, say :D

Nym plonks herself down and starts eagerly feeling around in the newly-discovered pockets of her latest item of clothing, pulling out a few items which she sets on the ground in front of her - the collection seems to comprise a tarnished silver holy symbol of Melora and a variety of objects that would be involved in the holy rites and other such worship-related activities that a follower of Merlora might be interested in. Nym herself doesn't seem particularly interested in these things quite as much as she is clearly interested in having even more pockets in which to keep things.

"Oooh, it's like they go on forever..." she mutters happily to herself, sticking a hand inside one and having it reach an apparently unrealistic distance inside. She looks up when Celindara proffers the statuette. "Ooh, more presents! Thanks!"

She smiles and takes the silver statuette and looks at it closely, turning it over to see every side of it. She seems to be becoming a little distracted, however, and soon puts it into one of her new pockets.

"Hmm," she says, holding out her hands and looking at them. "I'm starting to feel a bit the same. I'm bored like this. It's been a while since I changed, hasn't it?"

This last part seems to have been addressed to her familiar, who seems similarly restless and slithers down to disappear inside Nym's robe.

Meri had been examining the staff closely, her gaze occasionally moving to the new cloak Nym was exploring as if thinking something over, but was distracted by the figurine handed to her.

"Given my origins, I'm not too sure if the elven gods would want me as an ally" she said quietly, turning the small object around in her hand, letting it catch the light.
"But thank you all the same" she added with a faint ghost of a smile.

She reached up, letting Timur take the small figurine to study it himself while she went back to looking over the staff.
As Goodwin handed her the vials though, she gave him a look somewhere between surprise and suspicion...


OOC: Hmm, wonder why he'd be worried about being unable to lie? ;)  hehe.

Who knows with Goodwin :p

Anyway, Nym if you wanted to post as a new character and also reveal a new familiar, now would be the time. I want Celindara's next post, and the reveal of what she's looking at, to be the end of the chapter.

I know that sounds ominous. Maybe it's not? O.O

Fair enough...

Nym changes again, her blue skin turning pale and sprouting a thin layer of white fur (with the occasional hair of a completely random colour here and there) which nevertheleess manages to stick out in all directions. Her nose and mouth elongate into a more canine-looking snout while her long fingers shorten somewhat and the nails change to look a little more claw-like, though she is still easily capable of grasping her possessions. She shifts position somewhat to allow a fluffy, wolflike tail to emerge through an apparently newly-formed hole in her multicoloured robe.

"Hmm, that's better..." mutters Nym, looking down at herself. "I feel like I should be more fluffy right now. And sort of...sticky-outy. Fuzzy-wuzzy fzz-fzz. Fzzt. Fzzt. Boom! Yes. Things. And...oh, Ryn, you're back. Hello!"

She is now looking down at the avian head which has just stuck itself out of her robe. She puts a hand inside and draws out a bird resembling a small, slim bird of prey, now sitting on her hand. As is to be expected by now, the feathers of this bird are in an array of different colours though are generally darker on the head and back, and on the upper surface of the wings. The bird spreads her wings to give them a stretch and reveals an almost dazzling array of stripes in ridiculoulsy loud colours on the underside. The beak is curved downward into a point typical of most birds of prey though the shape of the eyes isn't quite as stern. Nor is the colour, which as usual can't seem to decide on what it wants to be.

The familiar looks around, then her gaze goes out to the air beyond the tree. Nym seems to understand and holds her arm up.

"Ahh, yay! Now you can fly! Wheeeee!" she calls, and the bird takes off and disappears in an upward direction, perhaps attempting to use her new-grown wings to find the top of the tree the group now sits in.

You can do a Google image search for "Falcon" to see what I mean about the stripe - that pattern, but, you know, with a much wider variety of colour ;).

Celindara is distracted from what she is looking at by the commotion behind her, and that disruption lets Goodwin escape Meri's looks. Celindara laughs as she sees both Nym's transformation, and her familiar's new shape. Many laughed and tried to join the falcon, but after a few spins and bounces found he could not fly high enough. "Awww!" he said with no real despondency, and laughing he took to buzzing around the heads and legs of everyone else.

"A new form for a new day!" Celindara says, giggling and pointing.

Where Nym's familiar now rises, finding the exploded cap of the tree sitting just above the spread of the skeletal ones around, there is much light. More light than there should be, as evening was falling when the group were battling the cult.

"Don't you see? It was not just that the tree was growing so fast, we were moving slowly too, cushioned in time through the hours the magic took to exercise. Look!"

Celindara points to the clear sky. What could have been mistaken for a setting sun was in the wrong place. Instead, the first fingers of light were spreading over less sickly looking trees, tiny buds of green visible here and there. It was a new sun, a warming sun, on a brand new day.

Light and life had come back to the The Blackwood.


Lol, and so now you are actually in day 6. Good thing someone gave you a healing boost like a rest, isn't it? :D

Anyway, and with that hopefully little note, with Nym's familiar flying overhead seeing it all, I think that's a good way to close off this chapter. the next one will pick up immediately after this, don't worry.

If you guys can just let me know in the OOC thread when you've seen this post, and I can open the new chapter.



Oh, just one more thing, a cap to this chapter...
This message was last edited by the player at 17:57, Fri 28 Oct 2016.

Elsewhere. Elsewhen.


"The undead? Hah, no, not even close my good sire. Immortality? OK, I see where you are coming from, but no. I see you are all fine people, great doers of things. Rushing through life with both hands, taking everything. And yet we all rush towards death when we do that. It is the saddest irony. What is the perfect balance between life and death, then?"

"The Moment."

"Ha, I see you looking at me. This is not a joke, and its not a new puzzle I will leave you with to be vexed over. Not you, my good and generous patrons of this day. No, you see - life stands still, stops in a moment. And yet not in death, A Moment is the anthithesis of death. It is the perfect balance. And it is powerful. So powerful. You can stave off death for the blink of an eye with one final moment, remembered. You can live your whole life in one. Or you can change your whole life for a new life, better or worse, and the future course of that life, with a single choice made in a solitary moment. Just one choice, with just one thought, in one little moment."

"Please, settle down. Let me tell you this tale. A personal tale, of a very special moment in my life. The most important one, perhaps. I will have to live my whole life to find out, of course! But this one, this one changed my life as it was then, forever..."



Ok, now this chapter is done! Let me know when you are ready, and onwards we go!
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Fri 28 Oct 2016.