Khessa and Alfred help Clarac wuth the digging and the ceremony. She is then ready... either to go or to rest.
[[OOC: Let's go ahead and say that we took a Long Rest at the keep after burying the bodies. There doesn't seem to be any deadline for getting to Uhubreen, and if there's tree cover, Vrox's suggestion of moving under the cover of darkness is less important. In any case, it fits @Aaggie's narration better if we take a Long Rest and then spend the next day traveling north through the valley.]]
"Did I just get blessed by a god?" Akkron asks with a chuckle as he sits down cross-legged on the ground. "Well... that is certainly an interesting development."
Akkron doesn't really need a full rest if everyone else wants to continue on; he could take a Short Rest and spend a hit die + regain the two spell slots he used during the encounters (a 3rd and 5th level slot). Alternatively, if we do a Long rest, he'll swap out some prepared spells: Psychic Scream for Wall of Force, Plane Shift for Disintegrate, Wither and Bloom for Invisibility, and actually I think I may trade out Wish for Power Word Kill.
"Obviously, the gods on this continent are wiser than on ours!" Khessa pats her undead mentor on the shoulder, before getting lost in a discussion of magic with him, always fascinated by the seemingly inexhaustible amount of arcane knowledge that the eternal mind of her first Master is capable of containing - and fully understanding.
The blonde arcane warrior, for the rest, throws off the magical protections that everyone should be used to by now and falls into a peaceful sleep - a sleep in which she dreams of Zendra and Ravlen returning home free and happy... starting a life together... becoming great adventurers, accomplishing great feats... getting married, having children, starting a family... Then, at a certain point in the dream, Zendra and Ravlen's faces become those of Khessa and Jasper, the elf husband who awaits her, as soon as she has finished taking care of these annoying Chaos Gods...
In the morning the tall adventuress wakes up full of physical, mental and magical energy and is ready to leave!
After you awake, you continue on your journey. As you venture along the valley, in the distance you do see two distinct landmarks. One is the peaks of the mountains, and the other is a giant tree rising high into the sky. It is massive, as you are still a good distance away. The tree is dark in color, not like a normal tree would be of an earthy brown, rather this one is more of a blackish brown.
After a short trip, you come to the small opening of the woods where the great tree stands. It is massive, something you have not seen before. Even Yoht who knows the mountains seems a little taken back from it. The base of the tree is roughly 100 feet wide, and it stretches for several hundred feet high into the sky. You do see that its bark is not of normal tree color, rather a darker hue.
There is a stone path leading to a large double door set at the base, and from your vantage point, there does appear to be guards posted at it. You can't determine what they are and who they are unless you get closer.
a giant tree rising high into the sky. It is massive, as you are still a good distance away. The tree is dark in color, not like a normal tree would be of an earthy brown, rather this one is more of a blackish brown.
As the giant "tree" comes into view, Vrox says, "Like I mentioned this morning, when I was communing with the land, I sensed that tree. Or, at least, the thing that looks like a tree. It's very old, but there is a darkness to it, and that darkness penetrates deep into the ground with its roots. I sensed 'dark beings' in the area around the tree. I don't know whether they were simply drawn to the darkness of the tree or whether the tree's influence created those beings, but we should be careful as we approach.
"In the Feywild, there's a 'seeming' about things: appearances can be deceiving. And strong emotions and magics can influence the land and the creatures and even manifest physically. I don't know whether that's just a tree that has been influenced or infected by some powerful force. Or perhaps its just the physical manifestation in this world of some connection or portal to another realm, like a Fey crossing to the Feywild, but much darker." He looks to Yoht and asks the dwarf, "Has that tree always been in this valley? Or is it 'new' to you?"
[[OOC: Is Flute still traveling with the party? Can she tell us anything about the "tree"?]]
After a short trip, you come to the small opening of the woods where the great tree stands. It is massive, something you have not seen before. Even Yoht who knows the mountains seems a little taken back from it. The base of the tree is roughly 100 feet wide, and it stretches for several hundred feet high into the sky. You do see that its bark is not of normal tree color, rather a darker hue.
[[OOC: Can we see the top of the tree? That is, from a distance, did we see the trunk spreading into branches and leaves? Could we see the top of the crown? Or did it stretch beyond sight or into the clouds?]]
There is a stone path leading to a large double door set at the base, and from your vantage point, there does appear to be guards posted at it. You can't determine what they are and who they are unless you get closer.
Vrox switches to his sword and shield and volunteers to sneak closer to see whether he can determine what manner of guards stand watch around the tree. He'll creep as close as he can while remaining partially obscured and hidden.
Khessa had initially been fascinated by that imposing plant. 'Jasper would surely have loved to see it too!' she had thought, remembering her elf husband.
But the blonde arcane warrior, once she had reached a distance enough to distinguish the darkest details and heard Vrox's words about it, changed her mind: 'Or maybe not! Who knows what happened to that poor plant... Could it be the result of being watered by the Nefarious Duo!?'
The tall adventuress is happy to let the benevolent Fey scout ahead... She meanwhile ponders whether it would not be the case to simply summon a large amount of lamp oil, which falls to soak the plant, and then set it on fire...
"I will scout out the canopy, then. If there be darkness in the roots and trunk, it may exist in the leaves and branches, too," Clarac says. She takes off with Wetherbee and flies into the sky. They will approach the tree from above (unless it is too high or the canopy too dense). If she can get close, she tries to sense whether it has been desecrated somehow. She also wants to find out what kind of creatures live high up in the tree, if any.
Clarac does not try to hide her presence except to gain altitude quickly, so the guards on the ground level do not notice her when she approaches the tree.
OOC:
Action: Use Divine Sense when close to the tree (first charge used)
a giant tree rising high into the sky. It is massive, as you are still a good distance away. The tree is dark in color, not like a normal tree would be of an earthy brown, rather this one is more of a blackish brown.
As the giant "tree" comes into view, Vrox says, "Like I mentioned this morning, when I was communing with the land, I sensed that tree. Or, at least, the thing that looks like a tree. It's very old, but there is a darkness to it, and that darkness penetrates deep into the ground with its roots. I sensed 'dark beings' in the area around the tree. I don't know whether they were simply drawn to the darkness of the tree or whether the tree's influence created those beings, but we should be careful as we approach.
"In the Feywild, there's a 'seeming' about things: appearances can be deceiving. And strong emotions and magics can influence the land and the creatures and even manifest physically. I don't know whether that's just a tree that has been influenced or infected by some powerful force. Or perhaps its just the physical manifestation in this world of some connection or portal to another realm, like a Fey crossing to the Feywild, but much darker." He looks to Yoht and asks the dwarf, "Has that tree always been in this valley? Or is it 'new' to you?"
[[OOC: Is Flute still traveling with the party? Can she tell us anything about the "tree"?]]
After a short trip, you come to the small opening of the woods where the great tree stands. It is massive, something you have not seen before. Even Yoht who knows the mountains seems a little taken back from it. The base of the tree is roughly 100 feet wide, and it stretches for several hundred feet high into the sky. You do see that its bark is not of normal tree color, rather a darker hue.
[[OOC: Can we see the top of the tree? That is, from a distance, did we see the trunk spreading into branches and leaves? Could we see the top of the crown? Or did it stretch beyond sight or into the clouds?]]
There is a stone path leading to a large double door set at the base, and from your vantage point, there does appear to be guards posted at it. You can't determine what they are and who they are unless you get closer.
Vrox switches to his sword and shield and volunteers to sneak closer to see whether he can determine what manner of guards stand watch around the tree. He'll creep as close as he can while remaining partially obscured and hidden.
Flute is still with the group. She is looking at the tree with a concerned look. "This used to be known as the The Gael Wode, and had has been home to elves for thousands of years, including the High Mage Varia, but the wode and woods surrounding it were destroyed during the war. It is not supposed to be here. That tree for sure was not here back then."
Yoht nods his head in agreement. "Aye, that be true. From the tales of it, the Legion destroyed the woods after it fell to the darkness, corrupted they say, changing the Elves who had lived there." He pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. "Ah, you bloody old daft fool." He looks at the tree then slowly nods. "The Druhkari, this is where they originated from, their birthplace."
You can see the top of the tree, its a good three to four hundred feet high.
"I will scout out the canopy, then. If there be darkness in the roots and trunk, it may exist in the leaves and branches, too," Clarac says. She takes off with Wetherbee and flies into the sky. They will approach the tree from above (unless it is too high or the canopy too dense). If she can get close, she tries to sense whether it has been desecrated somehow. She also wants to find out what kind of creatures live high up in the tree, if any.
Clarac does not try to hide her presence except to gain altitude quickly, so the guards on the ground level do not notice her when she approaches the tree.
OOC:
Action: Use Divine Sense when close to the tree (first charge used)
The guards appear to be wearing an archaic form of Elven armor and are only posted near the double doors. You do not see any roving patrols, nor any up in the tree itself.
Your divine sense feels there is something dark and evil living inside the tree, a mass of dark energy surrounds the tree.
If the companions tell Khessa what they've discovered, her proposal is: "In that case... shall we try dousing this evil plant in a lot of lamp oil and setting it alight? If it isn't a rare fireproof plant, it should burn well... and the occupants along with it! The only exit is through that double door," she points. "A well-placed Wall of Force would be enough to prevent anyone from getting out. It would be certain death - except for enemies immune to fire."
"I'll provide the oil first..." Khessa suggests to her undead mentor "After that, I can light the fire with little expenditure of magical energy... You take care of the Wall of Force!"
Then the tall adventuress sends a mote of fire to ignite the oil and the plant, obviously starting from the lowest point and letting the fire spread upwards according to its natural tendency - while Lord Akkron should have all the time to block the only exit with a Wall of Force.
Akkron chuckles. "Agreed... it seems like the simplest, most expedient solution to our problem. I'm happy to provide either the fire or the wall of force."
Vrox thinks that the plan sounds dubious. "I would save your power, Lord Akkron," he suggests. "This is no ordinary tree, and we do not know what dark infernal influence is upon it. Perhaps fire will not even burn it."
"I'll provide the oil first..." Khessa suggests to her undead mentor "After that, I can light the fire with little expenditure of magical energy... You take care of the Wall of Force!"
Vrox suggests that he could sneak close without being seen or even use "Nature's veil" to become invisible and get close enough to the tree to douse it with oil. He says, "That way, you can try this plan without exposing yourself to the guards until you cast your spell. I'm hard to catch. If the guards come for me, I can always step away from them along the paths of the Fey."
Since the tree is 100-feet wide at its base, if there are only the two guards by the door, the group should be able to circle around to the side or "back" of the tree (opposite the doors) without crossing into the clearing. That way, Vrox --- at least -- can sneak right up to the tree without the guards seeing him. He will spread whatever oil Khessa gives him low on the tree, even gathering any falling leaves or dry sticks near the base to act as kindling. Then he'll try to move back toward the group before Khessa lights the oil with Fire Bolt or Prestidigitation.
[[OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Does Lord Akkron know anything about this High Mage Varia whom Lute mentioned?]]
[[OOC: Probably not as he and Khessa were recruited from another continent rather than being natives to this land... I guess that would be either a History or Arcana check though. Right, @Aagie?]]
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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"We do not yet know if everyone inside the tree is an enemy, but I trust your judgement and agree that the tree itself should be burned," Clarac says to Khessa. Clarac stands by, ready to assist if needed for something.
[[OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Does Lord Akkron know anything about this High Mage Varia whom Lute mentioned?]]
He recalls the name, but it was from a long time ago. He was a Battle Mage of great repute, that the High Mage Vairae, was a self-proclaimed exemplar of the ancient arcane traditions of the Gael Wode, but that was centuries ago.
Flute is still with the group. She is looking at the tree with a concerned look. "This used to be known as the The Gael Wode, and had has been home to elves for thousands of years, including the High Mage Varia, but the wode and woods surrounding it were destroyed during the war. It is not supposed to be here. That tree for sure was not here back then."
Vrox knows quite a lot about the enemies that he has faced in and out of the the Feywild. (HisFavored Enemies are Fey, Giants, and Fiends.) As a cleric of Mystra, he has some skill in Arcana, but he would have guessed that Lord Akkron would know more about ancient wizards like Varia.
Yoht nods his head in agreement. "Aye, that be true. From the tales of it, the Legion destroyed the woods after it fell to the darkness, corrupted they say, changing the Elves who had lived there." He pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. "Ah, you bloody old daft fool." He looks at the tree then slowly nods. "The Druhkari, this is where they originated from, their birthplace."
Hearing that they are in the birthplace of the Druhkari, Vrox is even more doubtful that a fire -- regular or magical -- would damage this dark tree, but if the others want to try, he'll proceed as described above (i.e., sneaking up to the side or back of the tree to spread oil / kindling for Khessa to ignite).
You can see the top of the tree, its a good three to four hundred feet high.
[[OOC: Let's go ahead and say that we took a Long Rest at the keep after burying the bodies. There doesn't seem to be any deadline for getting to Uhubreen, and if there's tree cover, Vrox's suggestion of moving under the cover of darkness is less important. In any case, it fits @Aaggie's narration better if we take a Long Rest and then spend the next day traveling north through the valley.]]
"Obviously, the gods on this continent are wiser than on ours!" Khessa pats her undead mentor on the shoulder, before getting lost in a discussion of magic with him, always fascinated by the seemingly inexhaustible amount of arcane knowledge that the eternal mind of her first Master is capable of containing - and fully understanding.
The blonde arcane warrior, for the rest, throws off the magical protections that everyone should be used to by now and falls into a peaceful sleep - a sleep in which she dreams of Zendra and Ravlen returning home free and happy... starting a life together... becoming great adventurers, accomplishing great feats... getting married, having children, starting a family... Then, at a certain point in the dream, Zendra and Ravlen's faces become those of Khessa and Jasper, the elf husband who awaits her, as soon as she has finished taking care of these annoying Chaos Gods...
In the morning the tall adventuress wakes up full of physical, mental and magical energy and is ready to leave!
You all take a long rest; you are not disturbed.
After you awake, you continue on your journey. As you venture along the valley, in the distance you do see two distinct landmarks. One is the peaks of the mountains, and the other is a giant tree rising high into the sky. It is massive, as you are still a good distance away. The tree is dark in color, not like a normal tree would be of an earthy brown, rather this one is more of a blackish brown.
After a short trip, you come to the small opening of the woods where the great tree stands. It is massive, something you have not seen before. Even Yoht who knows the mountains seems a little taken back from it. The base of the tree is roughly 100 feet wide, and it stretches for several hundred feet high into the sky. You do see that its bark is not of normal tree color, rather a darker hue.
There is a stone path leading to a large double door set at the base, and from your vantage point, there does appear to be guards posted at it. You can't determine what they are and who they are unless you get closer.
As the giant "tree" comes into view, Vrox says, "Like I mentioned this morning, when I was communing with the land, I sensed that tree. Or, at least, the thing that looks like a tree. It's very old, but there is a darkness to it, and that darkness penetrates deep into the ground with its roots. I sensed 'dark beings' in the area around the tree. I don't know whether they were simply drawn to the darkness of the tree or whether the tree's influence created those beings, but we should be careful as we approach.
"In the Feywild, there's a 'seeming' about things: appearances can be deceiving. And strong emotions and magics can influence the land and the creatures and even manifest physically. I don't know whether that's just a tree that has been influenced or infected by some powerful force. Or perhaps its just the physical manifestation in this world of some connection or portal to another realm, like a Fey crossing to the Feywild, but much darker." He looks to Yoht and asks the dwarf, "Has that tree always been in this valley? Or is it 'new' to you?"
[[OOC: Is Flute still traveling with the party? Can she tell us anything about the "tree"?]]
[[OOC: Can we see the top of the tree? That is, from a distance, did we see the trunk spreading into branches and leaves? Could we see the top of the crown? Or did it stretch beyond sight or into the clouds?]]
Vrox switches to his sword and shield and volunteers to sneak closer to see whether he can determine what manner of guards stand watch around the tree. He'll creep as close as he can while remaining partially obscured and hidden.
Stealth: 26, advantage from Shadowfell Brand Tattoo
Perception 30, advantage from Sentinel Shield
Khessa had initially been fascinated by that imposing plant. 'Jasper would surely have loved to see it too!' she had thought, remembering her elf husband.
But the blonde arcane warrior, once she had reached a distance enough to distinguish the darkest details and heard Vrox's words about it, changed her mind: 'Or maybe not! Who knows what happened to that poor plant... Could it be the result of being watered by the Nefarious Duo!?'
The tall adventuress is happy to let the benevolent Fey scout ahead... She meanwhile ponders whether it would not be the case to simply summon a large amount of lamp oil, which falls to soak the plant, and then set it on fire...
"I will scout out the canopy, then. If there be darkness in the roots and trunk, it may exist in the leaves and branches, too," Clarac says. She takes off with Wetherbee and flies into the sky. They will approach the tree from above (unless it is too high or the canopy too dense). If she can get close, she tries to sense whether it has been desecrated somehow. She also wants to find out what kind of creatures live high up in the tree, if any.
Clarac does not try to hide her presence except to gain altitude quickly, so the guards on the ground level do not notice her when she approaches the tree.
OOC:
Action: Use Divine Sense when close to the tree (first charge used)
Flute is still with the group. She is looking at the tree with a concerned look. "This used to be known as the The Gael Wode, and had has been home to elves for thousands of years, including the High Mage Varia, but the wode and woods surrounding it were destroyed during the war. It is not supposed to be here. That tree for sure was not here back then."
Yoht nods his head in agreement. "Aye, that be true. From the tales of it, the Legion destroyed the woods after it fell to the darkness, corrupted they say, changing the Elves who had lived there." He pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. "Ah, you bloody old daft fool." He looks at the tree then slowly nods. "The Druhkari, this is where they originated from, their birthplace."
You can see the top of the tree, its a good three to four hundred feet high.
The guards appear to be wearing an archaic form of Elven armor and are only posted near the double doors. You do not see any roving patrols, nor any up in the tree itself.
Your divine sense feels there is something dark and evil living inside the tree, a mass of dark energy surrounds the tree.
If the companions tell Khessa what they've discovered, her proposal is: "In that case... shall we try dousing this evil plant in a lot of lamp oil and setting it alight? If it isn't a rare fireproof plant, it should burn well... and the occupants along with it! The only exit is through that double door," she points. "A well-placed Wall of Force would be enough to prevent anyone from getting out. It would be certain death - except for enemies immune to fire."
Akkron chuckles.
"Agreed... it seems like the simplest, most expedient solution to our problem. I'm happy to provide either the fire or the wall of force."
(OOC: Also, Akkron's staff of power regained 12 charges at dawn, bringing it back up to full charges).
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"I'll provide the oil first..." Khessa suggests to her undead mentor "After that, I can light the fire with little expenditure of magical energy... You take care of the Wall of Force!"
After that, unless someone raises objections, the blonde arcane warrior first pull wisps of shadow material from the Shadowfell to create a large quantity of lamp oil - a volume of 5-foot cube, created on the top of the plant, so that it descends to soak it.
Then the tall adventuress sends a mote of fire to ignite the oil and the plant, obviously starting from the lowest point and letting the fire spread upwards according to its natural tendency - while Lord Akkron should have all the time to block the only exit with a Wall of Force.
Vrox thinks that the plan sounds dubious. "I would save your power, Lord Akkron," he suggests. "This is no ordinary tree, and we do not know what dark infernal influence is upon it. Perhaps fire will not even burn it."
Vrox suggests that he could sneak close without being seen or even use "Nature's veil" to become invisible and get close enough to the tree to douse it with oil. He says, "That way, you can try this plan without exposing yourself to the guards until you cast your spell. I'm hard to catch. If the guards come for me, I can always step away from them along the paths of the Fey."
Since the tree is 100-feet wide at its base, if there are only the two guards by the door, the group should be able to circle around to the side or "back" of the tree (opposite the doors) without crossing into the clearing. That way, Vrox --- at least -- can sneak right up to the tree without the guards seeing him. He will spread whatever oil Khessa gives him low on the tree, even gathering any falling leaves or dry sticks near the base to act as kindling. Then he'll try to move back toward the group before Khessa lights the oil with Fire Bolt or Prestidigitation.
Stealth: 30, advantage from Shadowfell Brand Tattoo
[[OOC: @Mister_Whisker - Does Lord Akkron know anything about this High Mage Varia whom Lute mentioned?]]
[[OOC: Probably not as he and Khessa were recruited from another continent rather than being natives to this land... I guess that would be either a History or Arcana check though. Right, @Aagie?]]
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"We do not yet know if everyone inside the tree is an enemy, but I trust your judgement and agree that the tree itself should be burned," Clarac says to Khessa. Clarac stands by, ready to assist if needed for something.
He recalls the name, but it was from a long time ago. He was a Battle Mage of great repute, that the High Mage Vairae, was a self-proclaimed exemplar of the ancient arcane traditions of the Gael Wode, but that was centuries ago.
Akkron pauses thoughtfully, remembering what little he knows about the High Mage. He'll share the information if asked.
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Vrox would certainly ask Lord Akkron once Flute indicated that the forest was the home of a "High Mage."
Vrox knows quite a lot about the enemies that he has faced in and out of the the Feywild. (His Favored Enemies are Fey, Giants, and Fiends.) As a cleric of Mystra, he has some skill in Arcana, but he would have guessed that Lord Akkron would know more about ancient wizards like Varia.
Hearing that they are in the birthplace of the Druhkari, Vrox is even more doubtful that a fire -- regular or magical -- would damage this dark tree, but if the others want to try, he'll proceed as described above (i.e., sneaking up to the side or back of the tree to spread oil / kindling for Khessa to ignite).
Cool!
Is the group going to try and burn the tree, or try a different tactic?