This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
As the giant tree hurls their boulder at Elthana, she uses her reaction of deflecting missiles, and is able to knock it away, only taking 9 damage instead of 28. Realizing that it can now attack easily from range, Elthana works on finishing off the tree next to her, nodding at Sam as he joins her...
Attack: 28 Damage: 9
Attack: 19 Damage: 12
Attack: 22 Damage: 11
She then has Gust move her straight ahead towards the giant tree, continuing her gain on it.
(If Vin had taken out the tree ahead of Elthana going, she will use her action to dodge. If the tree has fallen before her 3rd attack, she will use a ki point to dodge.)
Elthana decimates her adversary with a little help from Sam and moves forward once more.
As the flames lick up Neferox's snout she is ready for carnage, she dashes as far as she can toward the giant tree, having eyes only for the biggest prey.
Vin's spells go off perfectly, hitting the two closest surviving trees to him and blanketing them in the firey warmth of destruction, their smouldering trunks still standing, still moving after the flames whip and burn, but they both look generally beat up.
Gewyn looks on at the carnage around him. The ease with which they were carving through the dangerous territory like a well oiled machine fills him with determination. The most important thing I can do right now is keep the pressure off of these two so they can continue their devastation without concern for defence. Gewyn keeps his quick frenetic song going, causing the illusory blaze to follow along with them. He pipes energetically as he dances around Muir and Vin. Wherever he steps, it almost seems for just a moment that fresh vegetation is growing up through the blight, though it is gone with his passing.
Movement: 30 (15 base +15 from Mantle of Inspiration)
Action: Move the flames in pace with the rear guard
Bonus action: Mantle of inspiration for Vin, Gewyn, Muir, Nef, and Molly (8 temp hp and full movement as a reaction again)
As the group moves up blasting and felling trees as they go, they begin to leave the termite swarms behind, unable to keep pace.
The illusion of fire being enough of a deterrent, the tree closest to the rear guard turns away from them, choosing instead to go after Neferox, it rushes her as she makes pace and launches itself at the hell hound, (19 to hit, 15 bludgeoning) having no luck with these trees, Neferox takes yet another slam full force.
Moving to intercept the second tree positions itself in front of Sam, the smell of woodsmoke reminds Sam of the smithies where he grew up, as the tree continues smouldering from Vin's most recent attack. The memories fade quickly as the tree throws itself at Molly, (24 to hit, 17 bludgeoning) devastating the poor giant goat.
The last tree that separates Elthana and the giant tree moves to intercept, positioning itself directly in her path, it too slams down on her, going to land exactly on top of its target, but Elthana dodges at the last second, feeling the deadly force of the attack breeze by her way too close for comfort (13 to hit, Dodged).
The giant tree surveys the battle field screaming in rage filled grief for its lost companions, "why come here? what purpose could slaying these beautiful creatures serve you!? be gone from here! first those rabid deer things now you! Leave my babies alone!" the glow pulsing from its base becomes faster, brighter. Behind the group, the ashen blight grows just a little more, sucking the raw energy from the far reaches of the blight, suddenly a branch splits off from the giant tree's side and the glowing stops. growing from this branch another full tree stretches its own branches into the sky and begins moving towards the group. The giant tree picks up another large rock and launches it head long towards Sam (27 to hit, 32 bludgeoning). As a reaction, Sam clashes his two hand axes together in front of him causing a concussive force that acts almost like a shield. It deflects the large rock that would have hit Sam and sends it instead flying into the tree next to him, splitting it in two sideways and sending bits of splintered tree trunk showering harmlessly over the rear guard behind him, The giant tree that cast the rock Screams in frustration, sending birds scattering in the distance.
Muir hears the tree and uses Gewyn's inspriation as a reaction and moves 30 feet up and yells at the Giant Tree "Stop this madness! I am Muir a Druid and Keeper of the Wood! We are here to save the forest and defeat those rabid deer and the fey who have caused the destruction! They and these red capped fey have destroyed a town and killed countless people who lived there, they have killed a friend of mine named Thunberg, and a good number of fairies who are friend to Shionne if you know of them. If you are an enemy of these deer and red caps let us stop attacking each other and work this out to aid each other. There must be a way!"
"WHAT!?" the tree screams, its voice sending shudders through the other trees which turn in place and stop their attacks... for now. "Keepers of the woods you say? what kinds of keepers willingly destroy their living forest? come here and explain yourselves, but be warned, if you attempt to deceive me, you will all die..", with that, each of the trees blocking the groups advances part, clearing the way and letting the group approach, if they dare.
Muir hurries to the giant tree "I would never purposefully harm nature unless it was needed. We all assumed that this blight that kills the forest was part of the fey incursion; the redcaps, the uh not deer, and the giant in the mountains. My friend Gore has been keeper here, to these woods, for close to a century. He has protected these woods, aided them in curing blights, fed animals, healed those in need until these fey from another dimension came out of the mountains killing everyone as I mentioned. That is the truth of it. I have traveled across the lands to fight these fey and aid the people of Hokum. My words are true. The others I travel with took a different route to get here but were tasked with a similar mission. I will answer questions that you may have but I must understand one thing....Is it you that is killing the forest?"
Sam pats Molly to steady and comfort her. She took quite a blow but she is a trooper and has plenty of life in her thanks to that singer... Sam then takes a big breath and catches his own Second Wind getting back almost all the vim and vinegar that had been knocked out of him. Sam listens through this all and grunts at the idea of parlay with a tree but the world has taken an odd turn of late...Once more his heels poke Molly in the ribs and urge her forward toward the tree, though in a more restrained and less hostile manner this time. Still and all, Sam takes a moment to pull another warm ball of fuzz out of his rust colored pouch. "This you, Órga?" he asks and tosses the boll about fifteen feet ahead of him and Molly, anxious to see if his lion returns... if his goat disappears... or what comes next.
The ball of fuzz lands and bounces and rolls a bit before it begins to unravel itself and take shape. But even before it could fully take form it was revealed by the roar of release it belched out... Órga was back!
(Second Wind and Bag of Tricks rolled on Discord...)
The trio would aim to form up into a line with Elthana and the others... Some spacing between them, just in case, but approaching close enough to engage the King Tree immediately if need be...
"Could be the faeries were deceiving us all along," Sam mutters. "But I did see this ring of dust expand when the Tree there shrugged... Did ye not?"
Elthana barely dodges away from the tree that heads directly for her. As she is about to fight it back, Muir comes to some sort of truce with the giant tree. Not sure how to take it, she shrugs and heads forward, placing herself with next to Muir, unsure how this will play out. Understanding that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but still wary about the blight.
"well then Travellers, I have no idea what you are talking about with redcaps and one you call Gore. But you're telling me that I'm not in the Faewyld anymore... Hmmm this explains a lot. The sad weak sun, the forests lack of sentience, what is this plane? Hokum you say? I've never heard of this plane..." The giant tree muses, it's deep bark brow furrows. The smaller awakened trees that let the group past have moved behind the group but remain motionless, simply sandwiching the party between the giant tree and themselves, eerily indistinguishable from an ordinary tree when they remain stationary.
“Hokum is just a city…” Sam says, a bit confused by the tree’s confusion. “This is the real plane… the normal one… it doesn’t have a name. That I know of?”
Sam dismounts Molly and edges a bit more around the tree. Just a bit, making it a part of the whole dismounting thing so as not to raise alarm. Órga Moves up on Sam’s right to get some pets and attention and will eventually side a bit further away as well…
((Sam looking to move one square diagonally NE. Órga trying to casually meander one NE and one Norrh of Sam’s new position…Molly ok where is. May shift one East but no biggie.))
Muir confusedly looks at the tree "No, this is a different plane of existence. You are no longer on your plane. A portal opened in your plane carrying many of you here. The giant in the mountain, these mutated red caps, the rabid deer are all of your plane and are destroying our world. You too are destroying the forest. Many of the trees here who have lived for 100 of years are dying of a blight. How can we help you return to your world or help you exist without killing our forests?"
"the portals to other planes haven't been open in hundreds of years!... Although it would explain how I ended up in the mountains and then here, hmmmmph!" The irritation etched into the mountainous trees face only deepens. "So how are you planning on getting me back to my own forest eh? Looks to me like it's in your best interests... Either that or I could keep making my more interesting trees to replace your boring ones! I was making good progress until you started blowing a bunch of them to bits!"
Muir thinks is over and doesn't want to speak for the others but offers this compromise "Perhaps you can make more sentient trees to help us rid this realm of our common enemy? When you make these sentient trees it kills how many of our trees? This is a pretty large area of death you've created out there. Perhaps we can come to a compromise where you live and make these sentient trees in one area of the woods so that you don't kill the entire forest. Then with your help the survivors that are following us this way can be safe? Could you Keeper Gore in protecting our survivors without killing the entire forest?"
"if I can make a few more of my children and it helps get me back to my realm then I could see an agreement being reached... The amount of your boring trees it takes to create one of mine, varies, it all depends on how much energy I can retrieve, average about three to five trees for every one of my babies hmmm? I can only make one a day though, I've sent off about thirty since I got here." The giant tree looks amused, maybe even proud of themselves at this. "I never had to force making any trees where I'm from, the forests were my siblings, there was no need to take energy it was all just there, in the soil, rejuvenating us. We were mostly left alone by the stuck up two legs and their big silver buildings, until they let monsters loose amongst our kin. I've seen these redcaps, these Not-deer before, wretched abominations, though they always acted alone, on instinct, greedy little buggers the lot of them, nothing natural there." When the tree speaks of the monsters the silent trees surrounding the group shudder, as the giant tree speaks words laced with venom, at the thought of his own home being invaded by the very same creatures invading Hokum.
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
“Do you even wa t to go back where you’re from?” Sam asks, still unsure if they should give this thing a choice or not. “And the ground… will it ever be right again? We can’t just have you killing our forests and such. We may need them eventually…”
Sam is eyeing this tree up and down the whole time. Sam is pretty sure they’ll have to kill this thing one way or another, sooner or later. Investigation to see what he can see: 7 He’s pretty sure axes and fire would do the job…
“And these ones you sent off? Could you call them back?”
Nef was a bit of a chore to reign in and stop from burning down the giant tree in front of them. Vin seemed to manage it although Nef definitely whined a bit in protest but let the flames licking her chops die down a bit. As the trees moved to surround the group though she seemed to get more agitated and flames and heat seem to radiate from her. It's quite obvious she will attack if given any further provocation. Vin for their part pets Nef and has her stand beside him. Perhaps because she still seems tired and weakened or perhaps because she doesn't like all these unknown variables she seems to be keeping a keen eye on these trees.
Vin for their part seems more amiable once he manages to placate Nef. The boy seems to think quick on their feet as they try to flatter the tree who seems to think little of two legged folks. When the tree seems to show pride in themselves Vin latches on and tries to win them over. "In this world we do not have the benefit of the wisdom and knowledge of a tree as grand as you in a long time. It would help us help you if we knew more about what causes this. Could you lend us your great wisdom and answer some questions for us? Perhaps that will help us help you get back home? You were wisked away here, where did you show up originally? You mentioned something like portals? Also, they haven't been opened in hundreds of years? What opened them before?"
"Aye the ground will be right again, might take a while especially if it keeps being this cold." The tree turns to Sam, happy that the group seems interested in the conservation of the forest either way. "I'll offer all wisdom you need, old tree like me! It's been eons since I was a mere sapling like you, let's see, I was uprooted in my plane and came out in a big stone cavern, no place to take root, so I moved, crawling my roots along awful narrow tunnels until I found a breeze, headed towards it, long time it took too, then I was here!
As for portals my lad they used to be open all the time, nothing opened them before, the two legs used to travel here and there, visitors would come to the Fae with offers and trade or merely to revel in wonders, but then they all closed, that was the weird thing, and it stayed that way for a long long time. No idea why the one I fell through opened if I'm honest"
Neferox moves uncomfortably, unsteadily at the trees words and direct addressing of Vin.
Gewyn takes all of this in, deep in thought, and says ponderously, "I think it must be awfully uncomfortable, this. Living in a world not meant for you. In soil that that doesn't nourish you. Struggling to do and make things that should be effortless while surrounded by creatures that neither understand you nor want you. Forced to simply do what you must to survive and make a space for yourself. While we cannot fully comprehend, I am sure we can empathize in part."
He looks to the others, and then back at the tree. "I think we can help each other return things to how they ought to be. We have others with us. Others who are looking to return to where they belong, and who may be able to help make it possible. But they need to come to that cave you mentioned, and they need protecting."
"that's the most sense anything has made for a while, I can do that yes, but just to be sure you know your part of the deal, what is it that you're offering me in return? Eh?" The tree leans forward, its roots balancing it out, as it looks down on Gewyn with a smile.
As the giant tree hurls their boulder at Elthana, she uses her reaction of deflecting missiles, and is able to knock it away, only taking 9 damage instead of 28. Realizing that it can now attack easily from range, Elthana works on finishing off the tree next to her, nodding at Sam as he joins her...
Attack: 28 Damage: 9
Attack: 19 Damage: 12
Attack: 22 Damage: 11
She then has Gust move her straight ahead towards the giant tree, continuing her gain on it.
(If Vin had taken out the tree ahead of Elthana going, she will use her action to dodge. If the tree has fallen before her 3rd attack, she will use a ki point to dodge.)
Elthana decimates her adversary with a little help from Sam and moves forward once more.
As the flames lick up Neferox's snout she is ready for carnage, she dashes as far as she can toward the giant tree, having eyes only for the biggest prey.
Vin's spells go off perfectly, hitting the two closest surviving trees to him and blanketing them in the firey warmth of destruction, their smouldering trunks still standing, still moving after the flames whip and burn, but they both look generally beat up.
Gewyn looks on at the carnage around him. The ease with which they were carving through the dangerous territory like a well oiled machine fills him with determination. The most important thing I can do right now is keep the pressure off of these two so they can continue their devastation without concern for defence. Gewyn keeps his quick frenetic song going, causing the illusory blaze to follow along with them. He pipes energetically as he dances around Muir and Vin. Wherever he steps, it almost seems for just a moment that fresh vegetation is growing up through the blight, though it is gone with his passing.
Movement: 30 (15 base +15 from Mantle of Inspiration)
Action: Move the flames in pace with the rear guard
Bonus action: Mantle of inspiration for Vin, Gewyn, Muir, Nef, and Molly (8 temp hp and full movement as a reaction again)
As the group moves up blasting and felling trees as they go, they begin to leave the termite swarms behind, unable to keep pace.
The illusion of fire being enough of a deterrent, the tree closest to the rear guard turns away from them, choosing instead to go after Neferox, it rushes her as she makes pace and launches itself at the hell hound, (19 to hit, 15 bludgeoning) having no luck with these trees, Neferox takes yet another slam full force.
Moving to intercept the second tree positions itself in front of Sam, the smell of woodsmoke reminds Sam of the smithies where he grew up, as the tree continues smouldering from Vin's most recent attack. The memories fade quickly as the tree throws itself at Molly, (24 to hit, 17 bludgeoning) devastating the poor giant goat.
The last tree that separates Elthana and the giant tree moves to intercept, positioning itself directly in her path, it too slams down on her, going to land exactly on top of its target, but Elthana dodges at the last second, feeling the deadly force of the attack breeze by her way too close for comfort (13 to hit, Dodged).
The giant tree surveys the battle field screaming in rage filled grief for its lost companions, "why come here? what purpose could slaying these beautiful creatures serve you!? be gone from here! first those rabid deer things now you! Leave my babies alone!" the glow pulsing from its base becomes faster, brighter. Behind the group, the ashen blight grows just a little more, sucking the raw energy from the far reaches of the blight, suddenly a branch splits off from the giant tree's side and the glowing stops. growing from this branch another full tree stretches its own branches into the sky and begins moving towards the group.
The giant tree picks up another large rock and launches it head long towards Sam (27 to hit, 32 bludgeoning). As a reaction, Sam clashes his two hand axes together in front of him causing a concussive force that acts almost like a shield. It deflects the large rock that would have hit Sam and sends it instead flying into the tree next to him, splitting it in two sideways and sending bits of splintered tree trunk showering harmlessly over the rear guard behind him, The giant tree that cast the rock Screams in frustration, sending birds scattering in the distance.
Muir hears the tree and uses Gewyn's inspriation as a reaction and moves 30 feet up and yells at the Giant Tree "Stop this madness! I am Muir a Druid and Keeper of the Wood! We are here to save the forest and defeat those rabid deer and the fey who have caused the destruction! They and these red capped fey have destroyed a town and killed countless people who lived there, they have killed a friend of mine named Thunberg, and a good number of fairies who are friend to Shionne if you know of them. If you are an enemy of these deer and red caps let us stop attacking each other and work this out to aid each other. There must be a way!"
"WHAT!?" the tree screams, its voice sending shudders through the other trees which turn in place and stop their attacks... for now.
"Keepers of the woods you say? what kinds of keepers willingly destroy their living forest? come here and explain yourselves, but be warned, if you attempt to deceive me, you will all die..", with that, each of the trees blocking the groups advances part, clearing the way and letting the group approach, if they dare.
Muir hurries to the giant tree "I would never purposefully harm nature unless it was needed. We all assumed that this blight that kills the forest was part of the fey incursion; the redcaps, the uh not deer, and the giant in the mountains. My friend Gore has been keeper here, to these woods, for close to a century. He has protected these woods, aided them in curing blights, fed animals, healed those in need until these fey from another dimension came out of the mountains killing everyone as I mentioned. That is the truth of it. I have traveled across the lands to fight these fey and aid the people of Hokum. My words are true. The others I travel with took a different route to get here but were tasked with a similar mission. I will answer questions that you may have but I must understand one thing....Is it you that is killing the forest?"
Sam pats Molly to steady and comfort her. She took quite a blow but she is a trooper and has plenty of life in her thanks to that singer... Sam then takes a big breath and catches his own Second Wind getting back almost all the vim and vinegar that had been knocked out of him. Sam listens through this all and grunts at the idea of parlay with a tree but the world has taken an odd turn of late...Once more his heels poke Molly in the ribs and urge her forward toward the tree, though in a more restrained and less hostile manner this time. Still and all, Sam takes a moment to pull another warm ball of fuzz out of his rust colored pouch. "This you, Órga?" he asks and tosses the boll about fifteen feet ahead of him and Molly, anxious to see if his lion returns... if his goat disappears... or what comes next.
The ball of fuzz lands and bounces and rolls a bit before it begins to unravel itself and take shape. But even before it could fully take form it was revealed by the roar of release it belched out... Órga was back!
(Second Wind and Bag of Tricks rolled on Discord...)
The trio would aim to form up into a line with Elthana and the others... Some spacing between them, just in case, but approaching close enough to engage the King Tree immediately if need be...
"Could be the faeries were deceiving us all along," Sam mutters. "But I did see this ring of dust expand when the Tree there shrugged... Did ye not?"
Elthana barely dodges away from the tree that heads directly for her. As she is about to fight it back, Muir comes to some sort of truce with the giant tree. Not sure how to take it, she shrugs and heads forward, placing herself with next to Muir, unsure how this will play out. Understanding that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but still wary about the blight.
"well then Travellers, I have no idea what you are talking about with redcaps and one you call Gore. But you're telling me that I'm not in the Faewyld anymore... Hmmm this explains a lot. The sad weak sun, the forests lack of sentience, what is this plane? Hokum you say? I've never heard of this plane..." The giant tree muses, it's deep bark brow furrows. The smaller awakened trees that let the group past have moved behind the group but remain motionless, simply sandwiching the party between the giant tree and themselves, eerily indistinguishable from an ordinary tree when they remain stationary.
“Hokum is just a city…” Sam says, a bit confused by the tree’s confusion. “This is the real plane… the normal one… it doesn’t have a name. That I know of?”
Sam dismounts Molly and edges a bit more around the tree. Just a bit, making it a part of the whole dismounting thing so as not to raise alarm. Órga Moves up on Sam’s right to get some pets and attention and will eventually side a bit further away as well…
((Sam looking to move one square diagonally NE. Órga trying to casually meander one NE and one Norrh of Sam’s new position…Molly ok where is. May shift one East but no biggie.))
Muir confusedly looks at the tree "No, this is a different plane of existence. You are no longer on your plane. A portal opened in your plane carrying many of you here. The giant in the mountain, these mutated red caps, the rabid deer are all of your plane and are destroying our world. You too are destroying the forest. Many of the trees here who have lived for 100 of years are dying of a blight. How can we help you return to your world or help you exist without killing our forests?"
"the portals to other planes haven't been open in hundreds of years!... Although it would explain how I ended up in the mountains and then here, hmmmmph!" The irritation etched into the mountainous trees face only deepens. "So how are you planning on getting me back to my own forest eh? Looks to me like it's in your best interests... Either that or I could keep making my more interesting trees to replace your boring ones! I was making good progress until you started blowing a bunch of them to bits!"
Muir thinks is over and doesn't want to speak for the others but offers this compromise "Perhaps you can make more sentient trees to help us rid this realm of our common enemy? When you make these sentient trees it kills how many of our trees? This is a pretty large area of death you've created out there. Perhaps we can come to a compromise where you live and make these sentient trees in one area of the woods so that you don't kill the entire forest. Then with your help the survivors that are following us this way can be safe? Could you Keeper Gore in protecting our survivors without killing the entire forest?"
"if I can make a few more of my children and it helps get me back to my realm then I could see an agreement being reached... The amount of your boring trees it takes to create one of mine, varies, it all depends on how much energy I can retrieve, average about three to five trees for every one of my babies hmmm? I can only make one a day though, I've sent off about thirty since I got here." The giant tree looks amused, maybe even proud of themselves at this. "I never had to force making any trees where I'm from, the forests were my siblings, there was no need to take energy it was all just there, in the soil, rejuvenating us. We were mostly left alone by the stuck up two legs and their big silver buildings, until they let monsters loose amongst our kin. I've seen these redcaps, these Not-deer before, wretched abominations, though they always acted alone, on instinct, greedy little buggers the lot of them, nothing natural there." When the tree speaks of the monsters the silent trees surrounding the group shudder, as the giant tree speaks words laced with venom, at the thought of his own home being invaded by the very same creatures invading Hokum.
“Do you even wa t to go back where you’re from?” Sam asks, still unsure if they should give this thing a choice or not. “And the ground… will it ever be right again? We can’t just have you killing our forests and such. We may need them eventually…”
Sam is eyeing this tree up and down the whole time. Sam is pretty sure they’ll have to kill this thing one way or another, sooner or later. Investigation to see what he can see: 7
He’s pretty sure axes and fire would do the job…
“And these ones you sent off? Could you call them back?”
Nef was a bit of a chore to reign in and stop from burning down the giant tree in front of them. Vin seemed to manage it although Nef definitely whined a bit in protest but let the flames licking her chops die down a bit. As the trees moved to surround the group though she seemed to get more agitated and flames and heat seem to radiate from her. It's quite obvious she will attack if given any further provocation. Vin for their part pets Nef and has her stand beside him. Perhaps because she still seems tired and weakened or perhaps because she doesn't like all these unknown variables she seems to be keeping a keen eye on these trees.
Vin for their part seems more amiable once he manages to placate Nef. The boy seems to think quick on their feet as they try to flatter the tree who seems to think little of two legged folks. When the tree seems to show pride in themselves Vin latches on and tries to win them over. "In this world we do not have the benefit of the wisdom and knowledge of a tree as grand as you in a long time. It would help us help you if we knew more about what causes this. Could you lend us your great wisdom and answer some questions for us? Perhaps that will help us help you get back home? You were wisked away here, where did you show up originally? You mentioned something like portals? Also, they haven't been opened in hundreds of years? What opened them before?"
"Aye the ground will be right again, might take a while especially if it keeps being this cold." The tree turns to Sam, happy that the group seems interested in the conservation of the forest either way. "I'll offer all wisdom you need, old tree like me! It's been eons since I was a mere sapling like you, let's see, I was uprooted in my plane and came out in a big stone cavern, no place to take root, so I moved, crawling my roots along awful narrow tunnels until I found a breeze, headed towards it, long time it took too, then I was here!
As for portals my lad they used to be open all the time, nothing opened them before, the two legs used to travel here and there, visitors would come to the Fae with offers and trade or merely to revel in wonders, but then they all closed, that was the weird thing, and it stayed that way for a long long time. No idea why the one I fell through opened if I'm honest"
Neferox moves uncomfortably, unsteadily at the trees words and direct addressing of Vin.
Gewyn takes all of this in, deep in thought, and says ponderously, "I think it must be awfully uncomfortable, this. Living in a world not meant for you. In soil that that doesn't nourish you. Struggling to do and make things that should be effortless while surrounded by creatures that neither understand you nor want you. Forced to simply do what you must to survive and make a space for yourself. While we cannot fully comprehend, I am sure we can empathize in part."
He looks to the others, and then back at the tree. "I think we can help each other return things to how they ought to be. We have others with us. Others who are looking to return to where they belong, and who may be able to help make it possible. But they need to come to that cave you mentioned, and they need protecting."
"that's the most sense anything has made for a while, I can do that yes, but just to be sure you know your part of the deal, what is it that you're offering me in return? Eh?" The tree leans forward, its roots balancing it out, as it looks down on Gewyn with a smile.