Sam's hand touches upon the wood even as Muir calls out.
"Huh," Sam says, helpfully. He looks back towards Muir and says "It's fine... Well, it's wrong. Unnatural. But fine..."
Sam then, of course, presses his luck and knocks upon the wood. It echoes like thick metal, the vibrations passing through a hollow area somewhere deep within. "Weird...."
"Say... The way it is all twisted around like it is... You think it could be hollow and be protecting something inside of it?"
Gewyn presses his knuckles into his temples. "Mmm, maybe," he grunts. The runes all around this room, they do speak of protection, and safety, like this is supposed to be some hallowed ground for fae or something. I don't know, it's... all just a bit twisted in my head"
"So the blood dirtied up the hallowed ground and now we got redcaps everywhere," is the conclusion Sam jumps to. "They added more blood, more dirtied up, more chaos... How do we purify this place? Will fire do it?"
"They are afraid of fire but those runes are sylvan protection runes as Gewyn said...."Muir eyes Gewyn "Gewyn are you alright? Do you not find it suspicious you are able to read Sylvan symbols? It took me years to learn the language and symbols....years of intense studies and here you've picked it up quite quickly"
"So is the problem the blood? Isn't what Vin is doing going to help then? Or am I missing something?" She watches Gewyn and Muir's conversation with interest.
"We ever get a plant answer about the hag? The hostages? Anything helpful?" Sam says, perhaps a bit of impatience or nervousness creeping into his voice. Burning it all down is looking more and more like a solution...
"Huh? I don't..." Gewyn looks confused. "I mean, I can't... that's Sylvan? I can't read them, but I know what they mean. Or at least what they are supposed to mean. Does that make any sense?" Gewyn looks at the runes again. "But they aren't quite right. They've been... tampered with. Do you see it, Muir? Each one is just a little off."
Muir does indeed see that the symbols have been tampered with ever so slightly, they are still readable icons but their magical meaning may have been changed slightly.
As Sam knocks on the twisted tree like enclosure, the vibrations travel through the thick outer wall and echo around betraying a hollow space inside, the grand bell swings slightly at the movement, though it does not ring it's movement makes everyone nervous.
There comes a cackling from within the twisted enclosure, and then a loud boom that sends a Shockwave through the ground, cracks begin to make their way out from under the twisted tree, they split up the walls and begin to slowly produce small wisps of continuous black smoke, which float upward and toward wherever the ceiling is hidden out if view.
Everyone feels the swell in their chest, a sense of urgency. Combined with the overwhelming smell of the fruits, make for a taxing burden in the senses.
Vin looks around the trees as quickly as he can for a way in. He seems to build up more and more stress as he gets a bit frustrated he can't find a way in. "There's got to be a way in. We need to get in there." He looks around for options and then he notices the bell. Hanging in front of the tree like its inviting them to ring it. He he says, "It couldn't be that easy could it?" then he goes to grab the rope dangling from it. Without much thought he just begins walking to the rope of the bell and will try to ring it.
Sam starts slamming his maul into the tree with all his might, though the unnatural material offers no purchase, not a single scratch or splinter, though it reverberates as the swings sound through the hollow place deep within.
Finding no opening in the circumference of the tree Vin grabs the rope attached to the clapper of the large bell and starts swinging.
BONG!
One hit, one ring is all that sounds out, spiralling out of the bell, echoing around the large chamber, surrounding you all and vibrating through everybody's chest, making the base of your skulls hurt, and before the second bong can be heard everybody's vision goes completely white...
Every sense is now overloaded, an indeterminable amount of time passes before you are able to see, hear and feel once more.
Once your senses return you are not where you once stood. The fruit bushes that were once up past your knees have been replaced with a verdant green field, small flowers dot the immediate area, some in small circles near large purple leaved trees, the chamber is gone, replaced by a haze of thick fog which is not penetrated by the light coming from an invisible source above your heads, it is day time.
Just as you get your bearings, a cracking sound draws your attention to the center of this circular glade, a tree, much much smaller than the twisted mound that inhabited the chamber, this 7ft high chunky piece of wilderness turns, and splits itself into four female humanoid forms.
One has bare branches sticking out of its head, frozen at the tips, it's white out eyes turn to face you all, it's movements sharp and jerky.
The second is a greyish being, though it's hue keeps shifting through stages of greens and bright yellows, it's hair sticks up as a fresh cropping of flowers which seem to continue growing down its back tapering off at the hips.
The third has an angular face, branches on its head strike upward like horns and bare red and brown leaves, it has long dirtied fingers.
The last one has floating hair of green and gold, it glows slightly with a golden light, and it's 'clothes' of green leaves drift around it continually as if moving in the breeze.
This last one is unmistakably Shionne, though she looks ever so slightly younger.
Each of these beings are joined with the main body of the tree by the backs of its legs, their calves one part of a whole.
"None of you belong here" Shionne begins, "this is our world" the frozen tipped woman continues, "it is our time" states the flower haired woman, "you cannot stop me now" insists the horned brown leafed one. There is no pause or delay between when one stops talking and the other begins, as if their minds as well as their bodies are linked. Then each of them simultaneously scowl and grow aggressive.
Muir scowls feeling betrayed by Shionne asks in Sylvan "Why? Why do this? We were happy to help you survive here and work together to make a better world. We have helped you....Why do this?"
“We don’t want to be here,” Sam replies, confused and looking around. “We’re just looking for the hag who is corrupting OUR world -Rynwell. Do you know where she is?”
Each of the tree women laugh sarcastically and in perfect unison toward Muir as he speaks, "we do not know you", "we owe you nothing", "in each of us is the strength of all of us", "we rely only upon ourselves"
As Sam speaks up they eerily all turn toward him simultaneously, the angular face of the brown leafed and horned one replies alone... "Rynwell is right here, I am she"
Elthana looks around at her new surroundings, trying to take in what is happening. As the tree-ladies speak, she is stunned by the revelation. Huh, she thinks to herself, wasn't Sam not keen on trusting Shionne in the first place? (at least that's what I remember, I could be wrong) she shakes her head, disappointed in herself for believing the tree woman. She whispers to Gewyn, "Are any of these the one you saw in your mirror? Was the one who just claimed to be Rynwell?"
Vin sees them and he thinks there is something very odd going on here. Verdant bright green fields? Light like from a sun? This is like the opposite of what is happening, of what is trying to be done. What's up with the thick fog blocking the view all around? Vin looks to the tree, trying to picture it as if a younger version of the mess of thorns he was looking at just moments before. He's not sure what the bell did but he knew nothing was as it seems. The question is... why try to trick us? Unless...
Vin looks to the four forms connected but there is something off here. He goes over what what said by these four in his head looking for anything out of the ordinary and he finds one thing. Vin was thinking it was time to poke holes in whatever it was he was seeing, "If you are the hag Rynwell, the one that has soaked the tree that bore these fruits in blood..." he holds out one of the fruits he got from before. "...then why are you attacking us? What did you do to the children from our world?" Something wasn't right here and if his guess was right Rynwell wasn't going to like Vin showing the other three this fruit that has been fed blood. There is an enemy here but he doesn't know if they were teleported, forced into a dream or somehow inside the tree. The four figures seem in unison... however, Rynwell was also the only one of the four, to refer to herself as Me and not us. He doesn't understand the connection Rynwell has to Shionne or the other two but it's very possible she is tricking them somehow or perhaps someone else is tricking them.
The one who referred to herself as Rynwell stays quiet as the other three answer "Shionne", "Mireah", "Tialha".
At Vin's insisting on answers and producing the fruit, only Rynwell laughs and responds with an amused tone, "those are a not my doing, a fruit of your plane growing in vicinity of the magic of our land, eating and swelling off Fae persuasion. Though I was happy to have found them, it made controlling those I imprisoned very easy, though I know nothing of children, if they greedily ate from that fruit then they deserve whatever fate awaits them".
"To your other question" they all respond in unison, "we are not attacking you, not yet, right now we sisters four are distracting you, the real question is, how long will you last..." they all begin cackling in unison, the same cackle that the group heard from within the twisted crucible tree, deep in the Hokum mountain.
"Yes, that is she," Gewyn responds to Elthana, gesturing at the brown-leafed one. "Though she looks different here, it is still her. And I think that portal has been here for a long time, dormant yet leaking, and it has only just recently been corrupted."
"Shionne!"He calls out. "Do you not recognize me? Where are we that you would say I of all people do not belong?!"
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Sam's hand touches upon the wood even as Muir calls out.
"Huh," Sam says, helpfully. He looks back towards Muir and says "It's fine... Well, it's wrong. Unnatural. But fine..."
Sam then, of course, presses his luck and knocks upon the wood. It echoes like thick metal, the vibrations passing through a hollow area somewhere deep within. "Weird...."
"Say... The way it is all twisted around like it is... You think it could be hollow and be protecting something inside of it?"
Gewyn presses his knuckles into his temples. "Mmm, maybe," he grunts. The runes all around this room, they do speak of protection, and safety, like this is supposed to be some hallowed ground for fae or something. I don't know, it's... all just a bit twisted in my head"
"So the blood dirtied up the hallowed ground and now we got redcaps everywhere," is the conclusion Sam jumps to. "They added more blood, more dirtied up, more chaos... How do we purify this place? Will fire do it?"
"They are afraid of fire but those runes are sylvan protection runes as Gewyn said...." Muir eyes Gewyn "Gewyn are you alright? Do you not find it suspicious you are able to read Sylvan symbols? It took me years to learn the language and symbols....years of intense studies and here you've picked it up quite quickly"
"So is the problem the blood? Isn't what Vin is doing going to help then? Or am I missing something?" She watches Gewyn and Muir's conversation with interest.
"We ever get a plant answer about the hag? The hostages? Anything helpful?" Sam says, perhaps a bit of impatience or nervousness creeping into his voice. Burning it all down is looking more and more like a solution...
Muir realizes he forgot to tell the group getting caught up in Gewyn seemingly knowing Sylvan
”Sorry Sam with you touching the tree and Gewyn knowing Sylvan….yes, the bag and portal are in the trees according to the plants”.
"Huh? I don't..." Gewyn looks confused. "I mean, I can't... that's Sylvan? I can't read them, but I know what they mean. Or at least what they are supposed to mean. Does that make any sense?" Gewyn looks at the runes again. "But they aren't quite right. They've been... tampered with. Do you see it, Muir? Each one is just a little off."
Muir does indeed see that the symbols have been tampered with ever so slightly, they are still readable icons but their magical meaning may have been changed slightly.
As Sam knocks on the twisted tree like enclosure, the vibrations travel through the thick outer wall and echo around betraying a hollow space inside, the grand bell swings slightly at the movement, though it does not ring it's movement makes everyone nervous.
There comes a cackling from within the twisted enclosure, and then a loud boom that sends a Shockwave through the ground, cracks begin to make their way out from under the twisted tree, they split up the walls and begin to slowly produce small wisps of continuous black smoke, which float upward and toward wherever the ceiling is hidden out if view.
Everyone feels the swell in their chest, a sense of urgency. Combined with the overwhelming smell of the fruits, make for a taxing burden in the senses.
(Everyone give me a wisdom save)
“In the trees we go then!” Sam insists, picking up his maul and swinging out at the twisted barrier looking to make a hole!
(you want attack rolls? Initiative rolls? Lemme know.))
Vin looks around the trees as quickly as he can for a way in. He seems to build up more and more stress as he gets a bit frustrated he can't find a way in. "There's got to be a way in. We need to get in there." He looks around for options and then he notices the bell. Hanging in front of the tree like its inviting them to ring it. He he says, "It couldn't be that easy could it?" then he goes to grab the rope dangling from it. Without much thought he just begins walking to the rope of the bell and will try to ring it.
Sam starts slamming his maul into the tree with all his might, though the unnatural material offers no purchase, not a single scratch or splinter, though it reverberates as the swings sound through the hollow place deep within.
Finding no opening in the circumference of the tree Vin grabs the rope attached to the clapper of the large bell and starts swinging.
BONG!
One hit, one ring is all that sounds out, spiralling out of the bell, echoing around the large chamber, surrounding you all and vibrating through everybody's chest, making the base of your skulls hurt, and before the second bong can be heard everybody's vision goes completely white...
Every sense is now overloaded, an indeterminable amount of time passes before you are able to see, hear and feel once more.
Once your senses return you are not where you once stood. The fruit bushes that were once up past your knees have been replaced with a verdant green field, small flowers dot the immediate area, some in small circles near large purple leaved trees, the chamber is gone, replaced by a haze of thick fog which is not penetrated by the light coming from an invisible source above your heads, it is day time.
Just as you get your bearings, a cracking sound draws your attention to the center of this circular glade, a tree, much much smaller than the twisted mound that inhabited the chamber, this 7ft high chunky piece of wilderness turns, and splits itself into four female humanoid forms.
One has bare branches sticking out of its head, frozen at the tips, it's white out eyes turn to face you all, it's movements sharp and jerky.
The second is a greyish being, though it's hue keeps shifting through stages of greens and bright yellows, it's hair sticks up as a fresh cropping of flowers which seem to continue growing down its back tapering off at the hips.
The third has an angular face, branches on its head strike upward like horns and bare red and brown leaves, it has long dirtied fingers.
The last one has floating hair of green and gold, it glows slightly with a golden light, and it's 'clothes' of green leaves drift around it continually as if moving in the breeze.
This last one is unmistakably Shionne, though she looks ever so slightly younger.
Each of these beings are joined with the main body of the tree by the backs of its legs, their calves one part of a whole.
"None of you belong here" Shionne begins, "this is our world" the frozen tipped woman continues, "it is our time" states the flower haired woman, "you cannot stop me now" insists the horned brown leafed one. There is no pause or delay between when one stops talking and the other begins, as if their minds as well as their bodies are linked. Then each of them simultaneously scowl and grow aggressive.
Muir scowls feeling betrayed by Shionne asks in Sylvan "Why? Why do this? We were happy to help you survive here and work together to make a better world. We have helped you....Why do this?"
“We don’t want to be here,” Sam replies, confused and looking around. “We’re just looking for the hag who is corrupting OUR world -Rynwell. Do you know where she is?”
Each of the tree women laugh sarcastically and in perfect unison toward Muir as he speaks, "we do not know you", "we owe you nothing", "in each of us is the strength of all of us", "we rely only upon ourselves"
As Sam speaks up they eerily all turn toward him simultaneously, the angular face of the brown leafed and horned one replies alone... "Rynwell is right here, I am she"
Muir looks at the others wondering if they are really who they say they are. "Who are you then?"
Elthana looks around at her new surroundings, trying to take in what is happening. As the tree-ladies speak, she is stunned by the revelation. Huh, she thinks to herself, wasn't Sam not keen on trusting Shionne in the first place? (at least that's what I remember, I could be wrong) she shakes her head, disappointed in herself for believing the tree woman. She whispers to Gewyn, "Are any of these the one you saw in your mirror? Was the one who just claimed to be Rynwell?"
Vin sees them and he thinks there is something very odd going on here. Verdant bright green fields? Light like from a sun? This is like the opposite of what is happening, of what is trying to be done. What's up with the thick fog blocking the view all around? Vin looks to the tree, trying to picture it as if a younger version of the mess of thorns he was looking at just moments before. He's not sure what the bell did but he knew nothing was as it seems. The question is... why try to trick us? Unless...
Vin looks to the four forms connected but there is something off here. He goes over what what said by these four in his head looking for anything out of the ordinary and he finds one thing. Vin was thinking it was time to poke holes in whatever it was he was seeing, "If you are the hag Rynwell, the one that has soaked the tree that bore these fruits in blood..." he holds out one of the fruits he got from before. "...then why are you attacking us? What did you do to the children from our world?" Something wasn't right here and if his guess was right Rynwell wasn't going to like Vin showing the other three this fruit that has been fed blood. There is an enemy here but he doesn't know if they were teleported, forced into a dream or somehow inside the tree. The four figures seem in unison... however, Rynwell was also the only one of the four, to refer to herself as Me and not us. He doesn't understand the connection Rynwell has to Shionne or the other two but it's very possible she is tricking them somehow or perhaps someone else is tricking them.
The one who referred to herself as Rynwell stays quiet as the other three answer "Shionne", "Mireah", "Tialha".
At Vin's insisting on answers and producing the fruit, only Rynwell laughs and responds with an amused tone, "those are a not my doing, a fruit of your plane growing in vicinity of the magic of our land, eating and swelling off Fae persuasion. Though I was happy to have found them, it made controlling those I imprisoned very easy, though I know nothing of children, if they greedily ate from that fruit then they deserve whatever fate awaits them".
"To your other question" they all respond in unison, "we are not attacking you, not yet, right now we sisters four are distracting you, the real question is, how long will you last..." they all begin cackling in unison, the same cackle that the group heard from within the twisted crucible tree, deep in the Hokum mountain.
"Yes, that is she," Gewyn responds to Elthana, gesturing at the brown-leafed one. "Though she looks different here, it is still her. And I think that portal has been here for a long time, dormant yet leaking, and it has only just recently been corrupted."
"Shionne!" He calls out. "Do you not recognize me? Where are we that you would say I of all people do not belong?!"