Chapter 22 - Into the Woods
Days 46-48
Wary of hostile townfolk, the party set up camp a half hour west of Viz in a sparsely inhabited area. Hopeful of being able to forage for food to replace what had been stolen by the pixies, they met with disappointment.
In the morning, Leandrie and Aldur set out in a light rain to return to Viz, the cleric again using his divine magic to disguise himself as an elf. As was the case in their previous visit, the town was bursting at the seams with settlers and new construction, though none of the expansion was occurring along the boundary with the forboding Dryad Woods. In the main square, an ogre-sized earth elemental stood stationary. Cautious inquirires revealed that it had been brought in to aid with the construction efforts.
They found the store that Leandrie had received directions to the night before, finding it to be a small establishment filled with luxury items. Inside, they found a man seated at a bench, working fine jewellery of exceptional craftsmanship. He was easily able to produce a small fragment of jade that met Aldur's needs.
Aldur sought out the elves who taught at the university, hoping that they might know of a healer who might aid his companions. Unforutunately, the elves there knew of no elf in Viz with such abilities. They suggested he await the arrival of one of their elders who was planning to pass through in a few weeks, and they promised to keep a lookout for any elf with such healing powers who might arrive in the intervening time.
Returning disappointed to the camp, the party once again foraged in the surrounding wilds, this time with slightly more success as Aldur was able to ensnare some rabbits for that night's supper. That night as the party rested, a strange light was seen in the northern sky, silhouetting the trees of the Dryad Wood. A pulsating, flickering blue, it persisted throughout the night.
The next morning, the party decided that it was time to resume the pursuit of the kidnapped children. With the main road into the woods guarded by the mysterious treelike guardian, they chose to risk entering the woods directly north of where they camped, and perhaps join the road further on. With Aldur as a guide, they entered the unnaturally dark forest. A sense of forboding settled over the party and Leandrie was visibly shaken, though he took heart in the confidence of his allies and forced himself to continue onward. An inexperienced traveler might easily have become disoriented as they tried to follow the dark, twisting paths through the forest, but Aldur displayed his well-honed survival instincts, expertly leading the party northward. After several hours of travel, they came over a rise and found themselves in a sheltered vale, surrounded by a natural orchard of trees bearing exotic, delicious-looking fruit. Aware of the dangers of eating food found in an enchanted wood, Aldur urged the party forward and into the dark woods beyond.
The party traveled through the day and as a deepening gloom foretold of the impending dusk, found themselves entering an area of mounds, laid out in a regular pattern and topped with what had once been fine stonework. Many had fallen in, while giant trees had grown through others, their towering height an indication of the age of the mounds. Leandrie readily identified them as being similar to barrow mounds that he had seen in the Empire, though he could tell little else about them. Each mound was sealed with a door of solid stone. Leandrie, Neela, and Aldur cautiously explored the mounds while Jrak and Tryaar kept a safe distance. While several of the mounds were in poor condition, offering tantalizing glimpses of the crypts within, none of the party felt any desire to poke about their contents. Instead, they passed through the complex, pausing to admire a massive central mound, and only stopped to camp once the mounds were safely behind them. They passed that night camped alongside what appeared to be an ancient roadway, which they intended to follow in the morning.
Following the ancient roadbed, the party made much quicker progress than they had on the winding game trails of the day before. The road ran northward, curving slowly to the northeast. After three hours of travel, they emerged into an area where the tree canopy was slightly less dense, finding themselves at a roadway that was likely the same that emerged at Viz. As they surveyed the roadway and discussed their future course, the keen-sighted Aldur spied figures approaching from the north. Aldur and Leandrie hid alongside the roadway, Neela climbed a tree, and Jrak and Trykaar retreated back into the forest.
As the figures approached, they revealed themselves to be an elf in fine robes, escorted by a half-dozen gnomes, laden under traveling packs. As the travelers passed by, the elf spotted Aldur in his hiding space beside the road and challenged him to present himself, questioning why an elf would be hidden in ambush alongside a road in the lands controlled by House Tarminastir. Aldur stepped into the open and a verbal sparring match began as each elf tried to fathom the motives and intentions of the other. It was clear that the other elf felt that Aldur was trespassing and wished escort him to Viz. For his part, Aldur was trying to find out information about Tarminastir and somehow defuse the situation. The sparring became more tense as Neela jumped from her tree and the elf and his gnomish companions became more wary. As the elf began challenging Aldur to a duel that would resolve the standoff, a nervous Leandrie sent forth a sonic blast from his hiding spot beside the road, instigating a combat. Caught by surprise, Aldur retreated behind a tree as Jrak and Trykaar charged for at the sound of combat. As he emerged from the woods, Trykaar unleashed the magical flame of his sword, incinerating the elf. Seeing their master fall, the gnomes dropped their weapons and shields, and fled for their lives, only to be cut down by the party. Only two gnomes survived, and were trussed up and left unconscious by the side of the road. The party lingered to remove any obvious sign that a battle had occurred, and resumed their travels through the woods, having decided that travel by road was too dangerous.
As evening approached and the party began to tire from the day's exertions, they emerged into a clearing in the woods that was dominated by a gigantic tree that dwarfed the ancient trees around it. Up in the towering branches, the party could see that some sort of structure had been built in the crown of the tree, and a melodic voice could be heard singing a peaceful song. As they approached the tree, they could see that a winding stairway appeared to grow from the bark, winding around the tree as it ascended the trunk. Aldur, Neela, and Trykaar chose to climb the stairway to investigate. As they wound their way upward, a figure appeared on one of the lower branches above their head, seemingly a beautiful young female fey. As they approached, she identified herself as the dryad protector of this region of the woods, and invited them to join her for supper. Entering through a door in the side of the tree, they found themselves in the midst of a tall room, its ceiling hidden in lofty shadows; the structure they had seen from below. The trio of adventurers were momentarily set on guard as pixies emerged from the shadows to flit around the room, but the fey creatures made no move to steal their belongings and instead obeyed the directions of the dryad, bringing fruits, vegetables, and honey for a small feast. The three adventurers dined well, sending portions down to their companions at the foot of the tree. Conversing with the dryad, they discovered that the dryads had an agreement with the Tarminastir elves, allowing them passage through the woods so long as they remained within eyesight of the road. She kindly but firmly insisted that the party return directly to the road come morning, to resume their journey by the terms of that agreement.
At the dryad's invitation, they passed a peaceful night resting beneath the boughs of the tree.
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