IC III

[VonAlric]

Gardo is the safest person for the diamond and he can carry the extra money as well.

[thirdkingdom]

Hmm. This is going to be tricky, since you guys don't know exactly where you are, and you're not following a path or landmark, so I really can't relate anything to a specific hex. I'll do my best, though!

Sixthmonth, Nineteenthday
Hex 226.117?
8:00 am

The adventurers hatch a plan to explore as much of the forest as possible on their way back to Draea, and, with camp broken, head out as soon as they can. Passing through the tractless forest, they come across nothing except an endless expanse of greenery. Around noon, just as the mercenaries are beginning to grumble about their empty bellies, Newton espies a trio of trees ambulating through the trees, on a seeming intercept course with their own path. Before long a low, rumbling voice, like the susuruss of leaves rustling during a storm, crosses the distance:

"Children of Men, declare your intentions within the Silverbark Court! Should it be for ill, know that you have a chance to flee ere being rent limb from limb!" Feargus, Gardo, and Newton all recognize these as treants, having encountered others of their kind along the road from Draea to Kimrid.

Encounter on 1-2:: 1d6 1 When does encounter occur? : 1d8 4
: 1d6 3 1d6 4 3d6 8 5d20 42

[R.R. Brando]

Horatio

"My friends, we mean you no harm. Indeed, we are searching for humans who may mean evil to the denizens of your home. Please, let there be no animosity between us. Perhaps we might even aid you in some way."

[Do I know whether Treants are allies with Fae? If so, I will add in the language of Fairy, "I have studied with the guardians of the wild things. I assure you that me are friends, not foes."]

[thirdkingdom]

Horatio

"My friends, we mean you no harm. Indeed, we are searching for humans who may mean evil to the denizens of your home. Please, let there be no animosity between us. Perhaps we might even aid you in some way."

[Do I know whether Treants are allies with Fae? If so, I will add in the language of Fairy, "I have studied with the guardians of the wild things. I assure you that me are friends, not foes."]

Treant

It is hard to tell if there is a hint of surprise on the craggy, bark-covered faces of the treants. The largest, a towering oak some 30 feet in height, blinks its dark green eyes and responds in the language of Faery. "Speaking the tongue of our mothers is one thing, yet you bear skins of steel and stink of fire. We observered you yesterday, laboring to move many stones to steal what was stolen from the earth. We know of no humans in these parts, of good or ill."

[R.R. Brando]

Horatio

Continuing in Fairy"I understand. We do not wish to anger you or cause any distress. What are the boundaries of your territory so that we might know where to tread."

[VonAlric]

Gardo

Hearing the treants approach, Gardo quickly signals the men to halt. "If you want to eat, I would stay silent. Who knows if a single comment may make them attack, got me?" Motioning for Wulfka and Notai to come over, he instructs them to follow along beside him and tell Mariusz to stick with the mercs.

Hearing Horatio talking makes him spin around violently. Taking a second to settle himself, he motions to his troupe. "Thanks for starting. I'll go meet with them." He quickly moves forward from the company a short way then calls out a loud as he can. "Greetings, noble ones! I am Gardo, cleaner of the forest stream. Our company, the Scarlet Warriors, did a service for the Silverbark Court. We have shown friendship to the court. Please come forth so we can meet and speak."

[thirdkingdom]

Gardo

Hearing the treants approach, Gardo quickly signals the men to halt. "If you want to eat, I would stay silent. Who knows if a single comment may make them attack, got me?" Motioning for Wulfka and Notai to come over, he instructs them to follow along beside him and tell Mariusz to stick with the mercs.

Hearing Horatio talking makes him spin around violently. Taking a second to settle himself, he motions to his troupe. "Thanks for starting. I'll go meet with them." He quickly moves forward from the company a short way then calls out a loud as he can. "Greetings, noble ones! I am Gardo, cleaner of the forest stream. Our company, the Scarlet Warriors, did a service for the Silverbark Court. We have shown friendship to the court. Please come forth so we can meet and speak."

Oakleaf

"Hmpph! I have heard of you! My seed-sister Acorn has told us all the tale of what you have accomplished." The other two treants seem to relax. "I am Oakleaf, guardian of these woods," he gestures in a broad, vague way, indicating the surrounding trees. "What is it you seek, so far off the trails of Men?"

[Rex]

Shmara

Shmara leans on her spear as the others talk to the Trents, "What are they saying?"

[shaidar]

Newton moves forward slowly to join Gardo, keeping his hands visible on the reigns. He stops about 6 feet behind (and to the side of) the warrior, but doesn't speak.

[VonAlric]

Gardo

When Oakleaf mentions that he has heard of them, Gardo turns to look at Feargus, winks, and mouths "That's right, he's heard of me." He also motions for Horatio to get up there alongside him.

On his turn, he smiles broadly at the towering creatures. "That is a question with a very long answer, mighty Oakleaf. We are here to find and obtain things that allow us to carry out our plans. We recently uncovered some buried items," he holds up a couple gold coins, "that allows me to enlist the aid of others," nodding his head towards the mercs, "to accomplish those goals. We are now out here looking for evidence of something a bird told us, some other two leg creatures were around here." He pauses for a moment, concentration distorting his looks. "There are other things to say but I think that I do not have the words to say them well to you. I will let our company's newest member, Horatio, help me out by speaking with you."

Turning to Horatio, he speaks in a lowered tone. "It just dawned on me that you spoke in some weird way and that guy spoke back to the same way! I believe you can be better suited to finish up this conversation and seal the deal. Let them know we defeated a large group of orcs and orges south of here about a month ago. See if they can tell us of any places that people used to live around here or do live around here. Then, in the big finish, let them know we seek any creatures help as we build up our forces to defeat some green dragon that lives somewhere west of here. If they won't join us right away, offer up our services to assist them in something they need done. I hope whatever words you were speaking can say those same things but better than I might."

[thirdkingdom]

Gardo

When Oakleaf mentions that he has heard of them, Gardo turns to look at Feargus, winks, and mouths "That's right, he's heard of me." He also motions for Horatio to get up there alongside him.

On his turn, he smiles broadly at the towering creatures. "That is a question with a very long answer, mighty Oakleaf. We are here to find and obtain things that allow us to carry out our plans. We recently uncovered some buried items," he holds up a couple gold coins, "that allows me to enlist the aid of others," nodding his head towards the mercs, "to accomplish those goals. We are now out here looking for evidence of something a bird told us, some other two leg creatures were around here." He pauses for a moment, concentration distorting his looks. "There are other things to say but I think that I do not have the words to say them well to you. I will let our company's newest member, Horatio, help me out by speaking with you."

Turning to Horatio, he speaks in a lowered tone. "It just dawned on me that you spoke in some weird way and that guy spoke back to the same way! I believe you can be better suited to finish up this conversation and seal the deal. Let them know we defeated a large group of orcs and orges south of here about a month ago. See if they can tell us of any places that people used to live around here or do live around here. Then, in the big finish, let them know we seek any creatures help as we build up our forces to defeat some green dragon that lives somewhere west of here. If they won't join us right away, offer up our services to assist them in something they need done. I hope whatever words you were speaking can say those same things but better than I might."

Horatio does as suggested, and translates the answers for his companions. "There is a camp of Men -- or creatures very similar to you -- one of our day's walk towards the morning sun." Oakleaf points towards the east and squints at the adventurers. "They are perhaps taller than you, somewhat? It is hard to say. They have camped just outside our territory."

There is a collective gasp at the mention of the dragon. "Yes, we know of this fell beast. It dwells outside of our domain, towards the sunfall, but many a young sapling -- and elders -- have we lost to its rotting breath, over the many years it has been active. I know not if my folk will be willing to aid you in your quest; we must convene a moot to discuss the matter."

[Rex]

Shmara

"It sounds like we have a direction if they are willing to allow us to cross their territory."

[shaidar]

Newton

"Honoured Oakleaf. I understand your worries about fighting the dragon, given the power of it's breath, and we would not ask you to put your people in harms way. However, there might be knowledge about the dragon, or magic we might wield for you, that could turn the fight in our favour"

[thirdkingdom]

Newton

"Honoured Oakleaf. I understand your worries about fighting the dragon, given the power of it's breath, and we would not ask you to put your people in harms way. However, there might be knowledge about the dragon, or magic we might wield for you, that could turn the fight in our favour"

Oakleaf

The treant regards Newton with bright green eyes that, somehow, manage to convey the weight of centuries. "That might be, but I will need to weigh your request with my fellows. The Silverbark Court seeks balance and Neutrality, and I would desire to avoid any hasty action. It will take us, hmmm, one full moon-cycle to discuss. If you would like me to, that is. Perhaps you would like to meet me here after that time period, and I will tell you what I learned?"

[shaidar]

Newton

"It is the nature of humans to be hasty and think only in terms of our own short lives. In my limited understanding it seems to me that the dragon seeks to control the orcs and other creatures of chaos nearby to oust the opposing forces of law, tilt the balance in it's direction, and gain greater control of the entire area." he gestures with his arms, taking in the entire woodlands around them "If you would discuss it with the court then we would be very appreciative. I look forward to returning and hearing the wisdom of the court in this matter."

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

Keeping his voice low and looking at the other members of the party Feargus says, "Remind me, how long is one moon-cycle?"

[thirdkingdom]

Feargus

Keeping his voice low and looking at the other members of the party Feargus says, "Remind me, how long is one moon-cycle?"

28 days

[VonAlric]

Gardo

"A full cycle? Well.... I think we might be around then. We are going places here and there to find things. Say... maybe you could help point us in the right directions. We are looking for an ancient place where some thane of Laginal or something was buried. We are also looking for a temple far to the east of here as well, it sounds like we might have to pass through more of the SilverBark court's land to do it. It would be bad form to make others of the court get riled up if we do so. Any way we could get some sort of symbol or such that would let others know that we are friends and do not wish to harm things?"

"Also, meeting you back here might be inconvenient for both of us. Is there some way we could give a signal or something that could call you? Some sort of special bird or animal to send? If we are longer than a cycle, we would be making you wait and for people like us, that is considered rude and I wouldn't want to be rude to such a guy like you."

"Anyway, enough of that. Do you know the places I was talking about?"

[thirdkingdom]

Gardo

"A full cycle? Well.... I think we might be around then. We are going places here and there to find things. Say... maybe you could help point us in the right directions. We are looking for an ancient place where some thane of Laginal or something was buried. We are also looking for a temple far to the east of here as well, it sounds like we might have to pass through more of the SilverBark court's land to do it. It would be bad form to make others of the court get riled up if we do so. Any way we could get some sort of symbol or such that would let others know that we are friends and do not wish to harm things?"

"Also, meeting you back here might be inconvenient for both of us. Is there some way we could give a signal or something that could call you? Some sort of special bird or animal to send? If we are longer than a cycle, we would be making you wait and for people like us, that is considered rude and I wouldn't want to be rude to such a guy like you."

"Anyway, enough of that. Do you know the places I was talking about?"

Oakleaf

The treant looks down at Gardo, something like a smile twinkling in the massive creature's bright green eyes. "So many questions!" the treant exclaims, "and so little patience!" It peers down at the map Gardo is holding out. "Do not worry about being here in an exact time; we do not see the world the way that you do, nor does time pass the same way. Similarly, our borders are not easily traced on a map such as this." The treant indicates an area with a long, branch-like finger. "We are here," it says, indicating Hex 226.116, "the dragon you seek is around here," pointing off the map, north of Hex 220.115. "The domain of the Silverbark Court is here," indicating a broad circle north and east of the party's current location. "Your map is wrong, too," Oakleaf says, "north of here the woods grow thick and wild, so that not even the dragon can penetrate it to any depth, and continues so across the river. That is truly our domain. Where we are now is simply a . . ." the treant searches for words, until it says something that Horatio is able to translate best as "outpost".

"There are ruins of men all through these woods, except to the north, in our lands, where the trees grow tall and dense. As to a symbol, if the tales are true, my kin gave one of you a branch plucked from its living skin, did they not? Present that and any of the Court will recognize it."

Maknor and the green dragon.png (158.27 KiB) Viewed 293 times

[The_Wanderer]

Feargus

"Pardon me. I did have one more question if you will indulge me. Another dragon was mentioned in our travels...Valraphgon, scourge of the woods north of the town we call Alice. It has not been seen in sometime however. Is this a creature you have record of?"

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