Midnight RPG - Chapter 10.01

Andrew/DURGAZ

At some point, you'd think they would stop trying to sneak things past me...

At some point during the eight-hour rest in the tunnels, Durgaz will take one minute (or two, or six, depending upon how long it takes to get what he is looking for) and use his Seer Sight to review everything that has happened in the vicinity of his own body for the past day (or two, or six, depending upon how long it takes to get what he is looking for.)

Specifically, he wants to know what the hell happened with Eranon and the mysterious five-hour journey while he was unconscious. In the process, though, he'll also get to see exactly what happened while he was lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of that pit.

Kevin

• [DURGAZ]: At some point during the eight-hour rest in the tunnels, Durgaz will take one minute (or two, or six, depending upon how long it takes to get what he is looking for) and use his Seer Sight to review everything that has happened in the vicinity of his own body for the past day (or two, or six, depending upon how long it takes to get what he is looking for.)
  • [A]: KEWL!! This one's a NEW ability you haven't used. And it RAWKS!!
    To review your ability (for myself)...
    Seer Sight (Su): At current Durgaz can use Seer sight (6 days, two time per day). The seer can divine information from an object, place, or person that he is touching. He can see all events that occurred to or near the target, as far back into the past as the listed amount of time. Using this ability requires uninterrupted concentration, during which the information is transferred to him as a series of quick flashes in his mind. When looking back over days, the seer gains a detailed understanding of all of the day’s events. Each day observed requires one minute of concentration. After using this ability, the seer is dazed for one minute.
    So this takes Durgaz only about 2-3 minutes maximum. (see below for the visions)
• [DURGAZ]: Specifically, he wants to know what the hell happened with Eranon and the mysterious five-hour journey while he was unconscious. In the process, though, he'll also get to see exactly what happened while he was lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of that pit.
  • [A]: Very good. Seeing what happened to him AFTER falling to the Minotaur is easy. You were there so you have that info from the cavern point of view (though NOT above ground with Kyuad/Eranon. This is NEAT, I'm imagining that it's LESS a "flashback" and more of a memory that Durgaz is recalling. His "shadow" actually being there on the scene when the event happened, but invisible as spirits are. When he calls up this pathwalker ability he's remembering what he saw... I'll recap the events:

SEER SIGHT VISION: "THE BONE BULL MAN & THE PIT BELOW"

• As is a spirit floating over his body... a SHADOW looming over the scene, Durgaz can see (clearly in Darkvision) as the Bone Minotaur rears back to gore the left side of its massive horns completely THROUGH Durgaz! Then reaches up with it's Skeletal Claws and rends meat from Durgaz bone tearing him off the horn!
• The Bone Creature disguards the lifeless corpse as the water sloshes around them. Durgaz watches as his body splashes into the dank water, sinking and sweeping under the cavern lip. Things go dark for a moment...
• Then next thing he precieves is the Sarcosan (Zal'Kazzir) gasping for a breath in a recess under the shallow cavern lip. The Sarcosan breaths heavy but quietly, blind to all that's happening as the water moves frantically for a moment and then...
• Durgaz sees (from worms eye perspective below) as the Minotaur rears it's head toward the surface... "Durgaz-gaz-gaz-gaz... 'Kazzir-ir-ir-ir... Are you down there-ere-ere-ere, Is everything okay-ay-ay-ay"...
• the water splashes into the recess again as Duraz sees the Bone Creature's leg and hoof slip up and out of the water. Climbing... Climbing... up the cavern wall... toward the voice above!
• All goes quiet.
• Roughly 6 seconds tick away. It seems like an eternity. And then a light begins to eminate from the cavern beyond the underwater lip... And the a bird - a "pheonix bird"... No... It's Kyuad's bird. A white hawk carrying a magical stone alit with a heatless burning fire.
• Zal'Kazzir seeing the bird and believing the danger has passed gasps for a breath and dives, swimming the 5-10' to the outside of the underwater cavern lip. He struggles, dragging your lifeless body behind him... In the hollow of the open cavern he pulls your body onto a dry rock, whiping the murky-weeds and leeches off his body, then yours - he looks confused and scared!!
• The Sarcosan frantically tries turning your body over, pounding on your back trying to get the water out of your lungs. But all he comes away with is blood and pulp from the massive cuts and gored hole in your torso... He looks up to the bird and thinks for a moment... As if pondering his options. Obviously not knowing what to do he tears parts from his cloaks and begins wrapping your wounds - trying to stave off the bleeding. But it's not working!
• Kyuad's white hawk lands dropping the fiery stone on a ledge above, spreading out its wings to sore down in a hop next to your lifeless body.
• Zal'Kassir, with his cloak in blood and gore, ties off your gaping wound tightly and leans the entire weight of his body on your chest. Your body reacts as water pushes from your lungs, blood and swamp water choke from your mouth. The Sarcosan has stopped the bleeding and your body beings to breath again!
• At the same exact time Nesse's wing feathers cover your head and eyes. It brushes it's beak along your forhead and for a moment it's eyes focus on your spirit and glows... Who saved you... The bird, the horseman? You can't say...
  ROLL: Durgaz (Sense Motice +0) ROLLED: 18+0 = 18 (a success with Zal'Kazzir not thinking he needs to "bluff" you)
• Zal'Kazzir slumps back into the water against a rock... Half paniced, half relieved. Looking at the bird, then to your body, then to his own cloak, then back to your body and the bandages he's covered you in... and he smiles to himself. A grin of achievement. Just for a second, them he closes his eyes as if considering the situation.
• In the minutes that follow, there is time waiting. Now and then a voice from Eranon above shouts down, worried about his friend Durgaz and the Sarcosan - knowing the Bone Monster had climbed out of the pit. Zal'Kazzir yells in reply. Above, they've taken down the Minotaur that fell your body as it climbed up above. Kyuad asks if Nesse made it down and was of aid. Zal'Kazzir replies with something like noting that HE had already saved Durgaz but the bird's light was helpful. It takes them some time but in the next hour or so you see Eranon's wolf dangling from rope and vines as your fellow spelunkers descend into the hole.
• As they reach the shelf on which your body lies, Kyuad consults Nesse as Eranon looks worried seeing the proportions of your body's wounds. He obviously fears you're done for. Then Kyuad kneels to your side, energy sparkling between his hands and...........
• Your vision ends.

SEER SIGHT VISION: "THE MISSING TIME IN THE DEAD MARSH SWAMPS"

This begins a situation occurs after the trees had seemed to overtake Eranon... Concerning what happened to Eranon and the trees of the Dead Marshes.

The Dead Marshes

When last we left the heroes of Eredane, it seemed as though the great trees of the Dead Marshes enveloped Eranon. Quickly advancing some 20'-30', overtaking the young Elven wildlander... But what seemed to be is not the same as what has come to pass... The great swamp trees had not advanced. Eranon stood firmly in the muck and mire on the outskirts of the Dead Marsh lands. He looked up into the black dense swamp-tree foliage. The wind began to rush. Cracking of bark and timber mixed with slurping splooshes and soon the wind carried a creaking moan on the foul smell of the putrid swamp beyond.
Holding aloft the necklace given to him by Ossion, he let loose the silver acorn held tight in his palm. Speaking into the slight wind Eranon heard the slump of you and your human companions all caught in mid-fall... Vines and black tree limbs reached out from around and above the wildlander pulling your and his friends from their feet as they dangled, drifting into unconciousness.

the wind whisps and Eranon's ears perk as if listening...
Meanwhile, your joints begin cracking as the forest begins to rip the human and your bodies from limb to limb.

a deep voice this one not of the whispering wind, this one built with the gravel of tension and tiresome grinding of wood and muck raking...
"THEY DO NOT HEAR... THEY DO NOT KNOW... THEY...
DO
NOT
PASS!
THEY SHALL BECOME AS SOIL, FOR OUR OLD BONES..."
the voice of the black barked swamp cypress cracked as his timbers ground with a turn of what could appear to be the torso of this elder of the swamp. Its face, not that of a man, yet strange and alien. As it bellowed out, as if in pain, the swamp replied... Two... Three... Four... and a Fifth moaned in a song of death murmurs, lumber snapping and breaking as the body of one of the humans was tossed into the vines of black elm.
These trees... were not of the living whispering woods familiar to any Caransil or other woodland folk. These were the trees of the Dead Marsh, these were the trees remaining from the once proud cypress, the beautiful ash, the elm, the cottonwood and the sycamore... And as they stand allowing the one with the silver acron to pass, the ones without will not be so lucky. These fatal few are the last tree herders, now pushed to the outskirts of their lands. Able to go no further. For they would die if they traveled beyond the pale and foul energy of the sickening swamps. But perhaps "die" is a poor term. Can that which is already dead, truly die?
Eranon stands at the forefront of the black trees, perhaps he can ask these trees how they yet move when they are already DEAD?!!...

ROLL: Durgaz (Intelligence +1) ROLLED: 9+1 = 10
The moaning heard coming from the trees could have resembled the breaking of the wood, the deep moans seemed to have taken the minds of your body as well as Kyuad, Zal'Kazzir and the Cobra, driving you into unconciousness. Is it Eranon's heritage of elven-kind that protects him now or Ossion's amulet? Whatever it is - your body, Kyuad and Zal'Kazzir will be ripped in multiple parts if Eranon doesn't have something to say about it quickly!!

Eranon Eranon holds the acorn aloft and shouts.
"Stop!!! They are with me. They too carry the blessing of Ossion, and they are under my protection. Please let them pass."

ROLL: Durgaz (Sense Motive +0) ROLLED: 15+0 = 15
It seems like Eranon isn't sure whether he is shouting at the Undead Tree Herders or the other trees for aid, but he hopes that someone will respond.

the BLACK CYPRESS it's bones made of branches, it's body the core of the tree - the broken tree herder cracks and bends to the Elfkind making the forest feel so very very small...
Eranon pushes back the morning's breakfast as his stomach turns with the smell of rotten limb and leaf as a maw in the trunk of the tree opens to speak...

"THEY DO NOT BARE BOND OF ANCIENT KINSHIP!
THEY DO NOT HOLD THE SACRED METAL!
THEY DO NOT WALK LIGHT ON EREDANE.
THEY ARE NOT OF ELVEN KIN, KITH OR KIND.
THEY SHALL BREAK AS THE HUMANS LUMBER US INTO COTTAGES! THEY SHALL REND AS THE ORCS TEAR MY BROTHERS LIMB FROM LIMB! WHY DO YOU SPEAK FOR THEM? THEY DO NOT SPEND THOUGHT ON YOUR KIND. MANKIND AND ORC LEGION HAVE NARY A THOUGHT FOR FOREST-FOLK. EVEN IN DEATH IT IS THE ELF-KIN IN THE BLACK-NAIL THAT HAS ALLOWED US TO SWAY IN THE WIND.
WHAT... LITTLE ELF-KIND HAS MAN DONE TO GATHER YOUR WORD? WHAT HAVE THEY DONE TO STAY OUR BRANCHES??"
the voice of the Black Cypress drones on for moments allowing Eranon to position himself as necessary for attack or defense. The sounds eminating from the trees seem to be a dark song that does not seem to effect Eranon's elf ears.

[Eranon is not pinned. He is free to move. The trees do surround him looming over him having grabbed his falling companions. There is more open swamp to Eranon's back but his friends now hang some 25' above him, held aloft together by the four other death shrouded Tree Herders.]

and as the Cypress drones on you can hear the others rumbling voices seeming to speak lower to one another...

the TWISTED SYCAMORE

" YES... WHY DOES THE ELFLING TRUST THEM?!!"

the HUGE ELM

"IS IT TRULY ELF-KIN WHICH STANDS BEFORE US OR A DIRE-SERPENT ILLUSION??"

the DARK GROVED COTTONWOOD

"PERHAPS IT DOESN'T TRUST, PERHAPS IT HAS NOT A CHOICE, PERHAPS IT IS BEING FORCED"

the GRAY-SHADOWED ASH

"THE WILL OF THE FOREST DIED WITH US, IT COULD BE THAT ARADIL HAS ABANDONNED HER POST AND THE LONG EARS HAVE BECOME ORC MEAT WITH OUR FORGOTTEN BROTHERS ON THE BURNING LINE..."

the DARK GROVED COTTONWOOD

"PERHAPS IT CAN BE QUESTIONED, PERHAPS WE TEARS THEIR LEGS OFF SO THEY MAY NOT RUN, PERHAPS WE CHOP THEIR ARMS AS THEIR KIND DOES OUR BROTHERIN, PERHAPS WE TAKE THE ELF AND..."

the BLACK CYPRESS turning in defiance to his graven brothers...

"QUIET!!! IT HAS THE CHILD IN SILVER! IT IS OF ELF-KIND! IT IS OF ARADIL'S BLOOD. IT CAN BE TRUSTED. YET IT'S TRAVELLING COMPANIONS, WHETHER BY FRIEND OR FOE ARE NOT OF ELVEN-MAKE! THEY MUST NOT SEE US WALK, THEY MUST NOT KNOW WE LIVE AFTER DEATH. THEY CANNOT CROSS OUR SWAMP. ELF - YOU MAY LIVE, YOU MAY BARTER FOR PASSAGE. HUMAN'S AND ORC MAY NEVER KNOW OF US!!"

as the ground rumbles with the reverberations of the Treants speaking, the great Black Cypress dips it's leaves and you see first your body, then Kyuad, then Zal'Kazzir begin to be pulled taunt again - seconds from being ripped in pieces!!

Eranon "NO!! With all respect, old one, you are wrong. They have all proven themselves friends of the wood, friends of elf-kind. They have all risked thier lives to deliver Messiah, a young ramaloce to the elves, to turn the tide of war. They all travel with me to save the Shadow-Wall from Vrolk. The Orc is Durgaz the Mirror Breaker, he has rid the marshes of the Shadow's reach. The Erenlander is Kyuad the Scroll Bearer, he brings the words or Aradil. They have all made a pact with the dire animal of the swamp, at the control of the Sarcosan. These deed they have done for my kind, and all of Eredane, and many more will they do, if you do not kill them. Please let them cross, I will take care to obscure your presence from them, though I don't know how you intend for me to cross."

"What can I offer you to ensure their safe passage?"

and as the Cypress drones on Eranon can hear the others rumbling voices seeming to speak lower to one another...

the GRAY-SHADOWED ASH

"WE TREE CARE NOT FOR YOUR DRAGONS... THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MESSIAH IN THIS WORLD OF SHADOW..."

the DARK GROVED COTTONWOOD

"PERHAPS ELF-KIN CAN FREE US FROM THE VILE'S CLUTCH? PERHAPS WE HELP THE LEGGED ONES? PERHAPS THEY ARE NOT FALSE? "

the HUGE ELM

"IT IS FALSE! WHY WOULD IT ATTEMPT SUCH THAT WOULD LEAD TO DEATH BROTHERS? THE ELFLING IS FALSE AND WE SHALL REAP THE LASH THAT IT FORCES BACK WHEN IT BRIDGES THE BLACK NAIL."

the TWISTED SYCAMORE

"THE ELFLING SPOKE CLEAR AND TRUE, WITHOUT PAUSE OR HINDERANCE. WE SYCAMORE WISH TO BELIEVE! WE WISH TO BE FREE OF VROLK THE WICKED, WE WISH TO BELIEVE WE DID NOT DIE FOR NAUGHT..."

the BLACK CYPRESS contemplative the lord of the black swamps bends...

"IT RINGS TRUE ELFLING, WE CARE NOT FOR YOUR WORDS OF HOPE. THEY HAVE NO MEANING IN THE DEAD MARSHES. THEY RING HOLLOW AS OUR BLACK TRUCKS. YOUR DEEDS MEAN NOTHING TO THOSE THAT WERE CONQUERED LONG AGO LITTLE ONE. MY BROTHERN WERE FORCED TO THE EDGES OF THESE MARSHES SO THAT WE WOULD NOT BE FORCED TO SERVE THE VILE OR HIS MASTERS, YET WE LIVE NO LONGER, WE ROAM NO FURTHER, THE BLACK TREES WITHIN HEAR US ONLY IN COMMAND - NO LONGER IN FRIENDSHIP. WE COMMAND AND HEARD NOW ONLY THROUGH PENANCE. IT IS OUR DESTINY. IT IS OUR PUNISHMENT FOR NOT STANDING MORE STRONG FOR MOTHER ARYTH. IT IS OUR CURSE, IT IS OUR ENDLESS TORMENT."

the DARK GROVED COTTONWOOD

"PERHAPS THE SON OF ARADIL CAN BREACH THE SHADOW SPIKE? PERHAPS WE LET IT TRY? PERHAPS IT WILL FIND A WAY TO LET US ROAM AGAIN..."

the HUGE ELM

"NAY BROTHER, THERE IS NO HOPE FOR A BLACKEN TREE. THERE IS NO TOMORROW FOR OUR LEAVES TO GROW. THERE IS NO SUN WHEN SHADOW COVERS THE LAND. HE WILL FAIL. WE WILL LIVE ON IN DEATH. "

the BLACK CYPRESS sad for his Elm brother, the Cypress interupts...

"MY ROOTS ACHE FOR YOU ELM, SO BLEAK IS OUR TIME HERE WE NEED NOT YOUR CONTINUED PESTILENCE. I RECALL THE TIME THAT SHADOWWALL WAS BUT A BABE IN HIS ELVEN KEEPER'S ARMS USING YOUR BRANCHES AS A NESTING CAMP FOR THE NIGHT. IF THIS ELF IS TRUE, I CALL FOR COUNCIL TO ALLOW HIM TO PASS, TO LET MIRROR-BREAKER, SCROLL-BARER AND THE HORSEMAN PASS. ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOOMED, IN DEATH I STILL STAND DREAMING... WHAT SAY YOU SYCAMORE? WHAT SAY YOU COTTONWOOD? WHAT SAY YOU ASH? WHAT SAY YOU ELM?..."

the TWISTED SYCAMORE

"TRUE OF HEART AND MIND, WE SYCAMORE MUST BELIEVE. LET THEM PASS."

the DARK GROVED COTTONWOOD

"LET THEM PASS. PERHAPS IT IS TIME FOR THE SUN..."

the GRAY-SHADOWED ASH

"THE ASH CARE NOT FOR ALLIANCE OF ELF, MEN, DWARF OR DRAGON. FOR US THEY DIE HERE TODAY. FOR IF THEY SEE THE SUN AGAIN THEY WILL USE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR KIND TO BARTER WITH THE DEVILS. THEY CANNOT KNOW OF US. WE MUST REND THEIR HEADS FROM THEIR BODIES TO PREVENT THE ESCAPE OF THESE WORDS... THEY DO NOT PASS."

the HUGE ELM

"IT IS END OF TIMES. HOPE LIES WITH FOOLS. THE ELMS HAVE BENT TO DARKNESS TO MANY TIMES. THEY DO NOT PASS."

the BLACK CYPRESS

"SO THEN ELFLING, IT COMES TO WE CYPRESS TREES. SO HIGH WE REACH OUR LEAVES YET THEY SEE NO SUN. SO DEEP WE DIG OUR ROOTS YET WE FEEL NO PURE SOIL YOU HAVE COME TO THE LAND OF THE DEAD AND HERE ONLY DEAD WALK SAFELY. WE CANNOT WALK WITH YOU. WE CANNOT BE KNOWN. YOU SHALL HIDE KNOWLEDGE OF US IN THE RECESS OF YOUR MIND. YOU WILL NOT ALLOW WE UNDEAD TREE HERDERS TO BE WITNESSED. WE GIVE YOU THIS GIFT AND EXPECT YOUR VALOR. WE DO SO RISKING OUR UNLIVES. YET FOR THIS HOPE TO ONE DAY SEE THE SUN BEFORE THE NECROMANCER GIVES US UP, WE WILL STEP ASIDE AND LOOM OVER YOUR TRIP THROUGH THE HEART OF DARKNESS. THE VOTE IS CAST. YOU MAY PASS."

Eranon

"Thank you, lords of the wood. I will do my best to break the curse of the Vile, though it may be the end of me."

With an uneasy tension the will of the Council is obeyed and your body and those of your companions are lain on the roots of the trees near Eranon. The Sycamore rips a massive black tree, long dead and now just a shell for vermin, and lays it in the deep muck. Roots, vines and branches become your poles to push you heroes along through the dark swamp under the watch and word of the Undead Treants.
Before pushing away from your entry point a limb from the Grey-Shadowed Ash whips at Eranon's face, cutting above his forhead and cheek across his right eye...

the GRAY-SHADOWED ASH

"IT IS WITH PAIN THAT YOU PASS BENEATH ME ELF. WE WILL NOT FORGET YOUR FACE, NOR THE FACES OF YOUR CHILDREN. REMEMBER THE ASH ELFLING! REMEMBER YOUR BOND! DO NOT BREAK IT OR WE WILL GROW LIKE A FISSURE THROUGH YOUR FARE ELF HEAD..."

The creaking moans of the trees continue keeping your body and friends in a lull, but otherwise safe.
The makeshift boat trudges with a haste given by the black swamp trees. Eranon's wolf pants at his side and now and again you see a curious little snake slip in and out of Zal'Kazzir's shirt-sleeve. The young Cobra remains coiled at Kyuad's side, also unconcious from the tree songs. Above in the sky Kyuad's friend Nesse darts in and out of the treeline watching his sleeping friend.
When Eranon's stomach begins to ache beyond dinner the boat does not slow, yet swamp fruit drops into the hollow. It is lush and juicy, harvested by the Treants, tended unseen and untainted by any living thing.

You travel watching Eranon and the boat for just under 5 hours to the opposite edge of the black swamps of the Dead Marshes near the route of the path shown by Ossion. Finding that route may take some time, but now Eranon has some! By your estimation you've easily doubled your time that you would have travelled by land making nearly 30 miles in this non-stop currented ride. According to the map Eranon looks at when considering the distance you'd guess that the Obsidian Spire is approximately 50 miles away as the crow flies.

It was clear that the Undead Trees did NOT want you or the human companions to know of them. As the tree moaning songs fade you guess your body will awake soon. Eranon prepares for it... The trees didn't believe their was a cure to their madness in undeath, but have apparently been able to hide from the command of the mage in the Obsidian Spire.

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Midnight: North & South Portal