Post by Dead Greyhawk on Nov 12, 2007 11:50:09 GMT -5
The Company is escorted into a small village nestled within the northwestern expanse of the Oytwood. The village seems overflowing with people, but all of them are garbed for war or the maintenance of those fighting in it. Arden Prindive, looking more worn than before, welcomes the Company and thanks them for their help.
He explains that the Oytwood Scouts have been forced across the Oytwood to the western edge and are on the verge of losing the last footholds within the wood. The main cause is still the same, humanoid and mercenary raiders from the Stark Mounds and points east of the Oytwood, but the problem has changed. The forest no longer is the elves' ally.
Raven recalls that, when the Company helped him last, Arden had planned to enter in Sterich to request aid from the Earl. Was he successful?
Arden admits defeat. He waited for weeks in Sterich, hoping to see the Earl. The various noblemen he spoke with all had their own concerns, and the Warlord was too busy handling the disposition of mercenaries and noble troops. Instead, Arden, who is of high rank in the Grand Duchy, but not when compared to human lineage, was shuffled from functionary to functionary, all of whom were polite, each unable to provide him with answers or access to the Earl. In the end, a large black bubble, like a huge black pearl, encompassed the center of Istivin. Arden saw that no help would be coming from the Earl and made his way back to the Oytwood.
While the Duke must commit most of his forces to the west, protecting the major city of Gorna from the marauding giantkind, the Duke has delegated wisely. The Duke has given Arden Prindive free reign in the Oytwood, and Arden dispose the few troops he has with the greatest of cunning. For some time the battles were those of attrition and ambush. The elves, half-elves, and humans composing the Oytwood Scouts and their allies would use the terrain and, with the aid of the forest dwellers, lay traps and ambushes for the humanoid invaders. The mercenaries and humanoids would, in turn, try to bring their superior numbers to bear and crush the ambushers. The balance was a tight one for both, and the battle lines were drawn and maintained in the eastern portion of the Oytwood.
Arden's plans had sufficed until the Oytwood suddenly turned against its people. The forest trails disappeared. The forest roads either ended in new places or went in circles. The woodland folk no longer aided with information or might. Without the aid of the forest, the Oytwood Scouts were repeatedly trapped, unable to use their greater speed against the greater force of the mercenaries. The battles now go against the Oytwood Scouts, and most of the nonwarriors of the Oytwood have fled.
Arden believes that something has happened to turn the hearts of the druids of the Oytwood away from those folk that have maintained the forest in the past. The center of the Oytwood contains the Great Tree, older than the elves themselves in this part of Oerth. The heart of the forest, the elves have always shown deference to it as an avatar of Rillifane Rallathil, and the druids have sanctified the ground around it so that they may listen more clearly to the forest spirits.
Arden has sent his best men to try to reach the Great Tree, but they have either disappeared or failed and returned. They say the trails that lead to the Great Tree now do not, and the Oytwood itself blocks the way to the Great Tree, binding and slashing at those that try to force their way towards the center of the forest. Arden, whose force is down to three hundred men, including those sorely wounded, can not afford to send more men into the center of the Oytwood. He hopes instead that the Company, who possesses greater skills and armor than the Oytwood Scouts, can do what his men can not.
The Company briefly discusses their options and then agrees to aid Arden Prindive and the Oytwood. If nothing else, they do not wish their time fighting the White Crow to go for naught. Hugh, Herbert, and Eig dole out healing to those that need it among the Oytwood Scouts, while the others arrange for care of the their steeds and find provisions.
In the morning, Arden tells the Company of a series of roads that branch out from the center of the Oytwood like rays from the sun. Each road is of whitish stone and has regular markers on it. One is nearby to the northeast. If the Company follows this road into the center of the Oytwood, they should find the Great Tree. Arden details two of his men to lead them to the road and wishes them luck.
The road appears exactly as Arden described, made of white stone with carved markers. Bidding their guides farewell, the Company hikes down along the road into the middle of the Oytwood. As the Company drives deeper and deeper into the forest, the light becomes dimmer and dimmer and the forest more and more foreboding. The color of the leaves becomes a darker, grayer green, and a foul, oily mist circulates through the air. The forest appears blighted and almost toxic.
The road the Company follows comes to a sudden stop, a large tree in the middle of where the road should go. More telling is that the road ceases to exist on the other side of the tree. Clearly this tree did not move into the middle of the road. Rather it seems to form a barrier where here and there cease to meet.
The Company skirts the tree and strikes off into the wood, trying to find a game trail or a path. The branches grasp and cling to the Company. The ground underfoot turns slick, and fallen leaves hide ankle-turning holes. The trail peters out and disappears as the Company pushes on.
Raven sends Jasper up the nearest tree to get a view of the surrounding forest and to get a better perspective on the distance they've traveled. Jasper has difficulty climbing the slimy, decaying bark, but succeeds, with much effort, to climb into the branches far above. Jasper is breathing heavily by the time he reaches the canopy, uncommon for Jasper, who is generally quite fit. He looks about and sees that the Company is facing in the wrong direction, heading not towards but around a gargantuan tree that rises up above the next nearest tree by easily twice its height. The huge limbs of the tree spreading out over the other trees is the last thing Jasper sees, as he falls limp and senseless from the treetops towards the Company below.
Jasper careens down through the trees, bouncing off several branches before landing in a pile at the base of the tree trunk. Hugh runs over and immediately begins healing Jasper of his major wounds. Once Jasper is able to talk again, having been brought back from death's door, he explains that the Company is heading in the wrong direction.
"Never mind that, man," exclaims Winthrop. "What sent you plummeting from the treetop like some shot bird?"
"I dunno," mumbles Jasper. "It smelled funny, and there's no birds up there. I like birds. They are good to talk to. They like seed. I bring seed for them. Do you want to see my sunflower seeds?"
Raven and Winthrop confer for a moment and, after carefully asking Jasper simple questions, determine that it's likely some foul smell overcame Jasper. Winthrop gives Jasper his floating stone and tells him to have it orbit his head while he climbs. Jasper does so and then climbs back up the trees. This time, Jasper is not winded when he reaches the canopy, and the Company is pleased.
Since the trails and the roads no longer follow the paths that they appear to follow, the Company resorts to hacking their way through the forest. Both Eig and Herbert are aghast at the Company and immediately order them to stop. A long argument ensues, with Herbert and Eig accusing the Company of being murderers and vandals, and the others, including Otto, claiming the Oytwood has been possessed by evil and is sick. "Sometimes the foulness needs to be cut, or even burnt, out by a strong hand," says Otto, quoting his mountain goddess, Joramy. The druids are not convinced by rather assuaged by the Company, who promise not to fell trees or slay any woodland creature without giving it an opportunity to surrender or flee. Alouicious begins to whistle a song that others in the Company recall having lyrics relating to being a lumberjack, but fortunately the druids do not recognize it.
The Oytwood redoubles its efforts to drag at and distract the Company as it hacks its way through the clinging branches, but the Company is determined. With Alouicious and Otto breaking trail, a sizeable path is burrowed through the clinging trees. Eig and Herbert attempt to guide the two warriors in their pruning, but it is unclear whether their efforts are successful or not. In any event, after several hours, the druids believe that their directions are yielding fruit; the Oytwood seems to be yielding to them, allowing the Company to make distance in towards the center of the forest.
Eig then stops Alouicious and Otto, holding up one hand. "I hear woodsmen cutting, and they are not us," he hisses, pointing over to the right. The Company listens carefully at the noises. Indeed, an arhythmic hacking sound comes from before them and to the right, the direction of the least density in the underbrush. The Company prepares themselves for battle, expecting that whatever the Oytwood is guiding towards them is not likely good for their health.
A band of armored ogres bursts out of the wood and stares in surprise at the Company. Diego and Raven both shoot arrows into the leading ogre, slaying him, and the battle is begun. The ogres, while appearing formidable, are sorely outmatched. Pfiffwin shouts and waves a short wand in the ogres' direction; large blocks of ice hail down upon them. Otto charges in among them, hamstringing and lopping off arms with every blow. Diego and Raven, accompanied by Winthrop, slay those in the rear of the ogres' column. Eats Salmon and the druids, who move quickly through the underbrush compared to the armored humans and humanoids, entangle the ogres in the underbrush and tree limbs and then maul them. Alouicious and Hugh almost have no one to fight, but quickly join in with the others, finding the weaknesses in the ogres' protection.
The death of the ogre band is quick and violent. The ogres themselves appear to be part of a military organization, as their armor and weapons appear relatively uniform, especially for ogres. A search of their equipment turns up badges containing a triangle with a small black square on it. It appears as if the Bergheim Mercenaries are active in the area. Besides a collection of gold and silver coins, the ogres appear to lack anything else of interest.
"That was nice, with the hailstones," says Otto to Pfiffwin. Pfiffwin puffs up his chest, swelling with pride. "We should think about how to use your illusions tactically, so that we aren't affected, but they are," muses Otto, partly to Pfiffwin and partly to himself. As they begin moving through the forest again, Pfiffwin occasionally pushes his way to the front of the Company to converse with Otto.
The Company pushes further on into the Oytwood until they reach a small river. Comparing the river with the information that Arden gave the Company, it appears as if they have made good time, covering almost half the distance to the center of the Oytwood. Off to the left, up a small hill, seems a defensible campsite, but the Company is too skittish to take such an easy route. Instead, they ford the river and hike another hour into the forest, risking becoming turned about, reasoning that as long as they do not cross the river again, they can lose no ground.
That night, the Company camps in the forest, setting double watches. The night is very eerie, with mists and strange noises echoing around them. A great howling sound sets the Company on edge as the night approaches midnight, and a throbbing, echoing, drumming sound, like a great wind beating against a huge drum, keeps the Company from sleeping in the early morning.
Once the sun has risen and its light illuminated the grayish mists that wreath the trees, the Company prepares to depart. They send Jasper up the nearest tree to orient themselves. Again Jasper sees the Great Tree now towering over him. From where he sits among the decaying foliage, it appears almost as if the limbs of the tree reach out over him. The decay of the Oytwood has certainly increased as the Company has approached the center of the Oytwood. The sickly foliage barely holds together on the trees here and bark comes loose each place he puts his hands and feet. Worst, the fetid miasma rising up from the trees themselves is so strong as to make Jasper's eyes sting. He is very glad for Winthrop's magical stone.
The Oytwood continues to make travel difficult for the Company, but the general decay of the forest makes its efforts less meaningful. The river crossed by the Company seems to have been some dividing line, where outside the river the trees were mostly alive and inside the trees are mostly dead. A black bear, foaming and lurching and covered in tufts and patches of fur, charges towards the Company at one point and even Herbert and Eig see the mercy in slaying the crazed, distraught animal.
Surprisingly, the path the Company has been carving through the doomed forest turns from dirt and trees into a white stone road as quickly as it disappeared before. In front of them, stone buildings made of similar white material and covered with greenery poke out from between the bushes and trees. The Company must be approaching the demesnes of the druids of the Oytwood.
The Company strides down the pale road, weapons drawn and ready. The sun is low in the sky, and they know that speed is of the essence. Should they charge on through or methodically search each building for foes? Otto and Raven confer and decide that, at least for now, it is more important to not be surrounded and assailed on all sides. They will search the buildings.
The sound of running water to the right side of the road alerts the Company of a large stream or small river just out of sight. The total absence of bird or small animal creates a creepy atmosphere, especially when the Company believes they are entering land blessed by the forest gods. Carefully, the Company draws up by the first building, a one story, square building with a tile roof. Otto lowers one shoulder and bulls his way through it.
While the outside of the building appears in good shape, the inside does not. The remains of two beds, rugs, chairs, and a table are visible among the general destruction within. From the large brown stain in the middle of the room, across two small rugs, it appears as if someone or something bled to death in the room. The Company carefully explores the small building, assuring themselves that nothing hides in the corners or in a hidden space.
In the corner furthest from the door is a thick oaken chest with a hinged lid made of marble. Beside the chest lies the skeleton of a human, its bones gnawed and in disarray. Eig and Hugh step forward to look at the chest and the bones respectively. Eig notes that the chest is closed, but not locked. "Must have been a trap, but I don't see one now," he reports, surprising the rest of the Company at his esoteric knowledge.
Hugh holds up a tusked skull. "Hobgoblins," he says with disgust.
He explains that the Oytwood Scouts have been forced across the Oytwood to the western edge and are on the verge of losing the last footholds within the wood. The main cause is still the same, humanoid and mercenary raiders from the Stark Mounds and points east of the Oytwood, but the problem has changed. The forest no longer is the elves' ally.
Raven recalls that, when the Company helped him last, Arden had planned to enter in Sterich to request aid from the Earl. Was he successful?
Arden admits defeat. He waited for weeks in Sterich, hoping to see the Earl. The various noblemen he spoke with all had their own concerns, and the Warlord was too busy handling the disposition of mercenaries and noble troops. Instead, Arden, who is of high rank in the Grand Duchy, but not when compared to human lineage, was shuffled from functionary to functionary, all of whom were polite, each unable to provide him with answers or access to the Earl. In the end, a large black bubble, like a huge black pearl, encompassed the center of Istivin. Arden saw that no help would be coming from the Earl and made his way back to the Oytwood.
While the Duke must commit most of his forces to the west, protecting the major city of Gorna from the marauding giantkind, the Duke has delegated wisely. The Duke has given Arden Prindive free reign in the Oytwood, and Arden dispose the few troops he has with the greatest of cunning. For some time the battles were those of attrition and ambush. The elves, half-elves, and humans composing the Oytwood Scouts and their allies would use the terrain and, with the aid of the forest dwellers, lay traps and ambushes for the humanoid invaders. The mercenaries and humanoids would, in turn, try to bring their superior numbers to bear and crush the ambushers. The balance was a tight one for both, and the battle lines were drawn and maintained in the eastern portion of the Oytwood.
Arden's plans had sufficed until the Oytwood suddenly turned against its people. The forest trails disappeared. The forest roads either ended in new places or went in circles. The woodland folk no longer aided with information or might. Without the aid of the forest, the Oytwood Scouts were repeatedly trapped, unable to use their greater speed against the greater force of the mercenaries. The battles now go against the Oytwood Scouts, and most of the nonwarriors of the Oytwood have fled.
Arden believes that something has happened to turn the hearts of the druids of the Oytwood away from those folk that have maintained the forest in the past. The center of the Oytwood contains the Great Tree, older than the elves themselves in this part of Oerth. The heart of the forest, the elves have always shown deference to it as an avatar of Rillifane Rallathil, and the druids have sanctified the ground around it so that they may listen more clearly to the forest spirits.
Arden has sent his best men to try to reach the Great Tree, but they have either disappeared or failed and returned. They say the trails that lead to the Great Tree now do not, and the Oytwood itself blocks the way to the Great Tree, binding and slashing at those that try to force their way towards the center of the forest. Arden, whose force is down to three hundred men, including those sorely wounded, can not afford to send more men into the center of the Oytwood. He hopes instead that the Company, who possesses greater skills and armor than the Oytwood Scouts, can do what his men can not.
The Company briefly discusses their options and then agrees to aid Arden Prindive and the Oytwood. If nothing else, they do not wish their time fighting the White Crow to go for naught. Hugh, Herbert, and Eig dole out healing to those that need it among the Oytwood Scouts, while the others arrange for care of the their steeds and find provisions.
In the morning, Arden tells the Company of a series of roads that branch out from the center of the Oytwood like rays from the sun. Each road is of whitish stone and has regular markers on it. One is nearby to the northeast. If the Company follows this road into the center of the Oytwood, they should find the Great Tree. Arden details two of his men to lead them to the road and wishes them luck.
The road appears exactly as Arden described, made of white stone with carved markers. Bidding their guides farewell, the Company hikes down along the road into the middle of the Oytwood. As the Company drives deeper and deeper into the forest, the light becomes dimmer and dimmer and the forest more and more foreboding. The color of the leaves becomes a darker, grayer green, and a foul, oily mist circulates through the air. The forest appears blighted and almost toxic.
The road the Company follows comes to a sudden stop, a large tree in the middle of where the road should go. More telling is that the road ceases to exist on the other side of the tree. Clearly this tree did not move into the middle of the road. Rather it seems to form a barrier where here and there cease to meet.
The Company skirts the tree and strikes off into the wood, trying to find a game trail or a path. The branches grasp and cling to the Company. The ground underfoot turns slick, and fallen leaves hide ankle-turning holes. The trail peters out and disappears as the Company pushes on.
Raven sends Jasper up the nearest tree to get a view of the surrounding forest and to get a better perspective on the distance they've traveled. Jasper has difficulty climbing the slimy, decaying bark, but succeeds, with much effort, to climb into the branches far above. Jasper is breathing heavily by the time he reaches the canopy, uncommon for Jasper, who is generally quite fit. He looks about and sees that the Company is facing in the wrong direction, heading not towards but around a gargantuan tree that rises up above the next nearest tree by easily twice its height. The huge limbs of the tree spreading out over the other trees is the last thing Jasper sees, as he falls limp and senseless from the treetops towards the Company below.
Jasper careens down through the trees, bouncing off several branches before landing in a pile at the base of the tree trunk. Hugh runs over and immediately begins healing Jasper of his major wounds. Once Jasper is able to talk again, having been brought back from death's door, he explains that the Company is heading in the wrong direction.
"Never mind that, man," exclaims Winthrop. "What sent you plummeting from the treetop like some shot bird?"
"I dunno," mumbles Jasper. "It smelled funny, and there's no birds up there. I like birds. They are good to talk to. They like seed. I bring seed for them. Do you want to see my sunflower seeds?"
Raven and Winthrop confer for a moment and, after carefully asking Jasper simple questions, determine that it's likely some foul smell overcame Jasper. Winthrop gives Jasper his floating stone and tells him to have it orbit his head while he climbs. Jasper does so and then climbs back up the trees. This time, Jasper is not winded when he reaches the canopy, and the Company is pleased.
Since the trails and the roads no longer follow the paths that they appear to follow, the Company resorts to hacking their way through the forest. Both Eig and Herbert are aghast at the Company and immediately order them to stop. A long argument ensues, with Herbert and Eig accusing the Company of being murderers and vandals, and the others, including Otto, claiming the Oytwood has been possessed by evil and is sick. "Sometimes the foulness needs to be cut, or even burnt, out by a strong hand," says Otto, quoting his mountain goddess, Joramy. The druids are not convinced by rather assuaged by the Company, who promise not to fell trees or slay any woodland creature without giving it an opportunity to surrender or flee. Alouicious begins to whistle a song that others in the Company recall having lyrics relating to being a lumberjack, but fortunately the druids do not recognize it.
The Oytwood redoubles its efforts to drag at and distract the Company as it hacks its way through the clinging branches, but the Company is determined. With Alouicious and Otto breaking trail, a sizeable path is burrowed through the clinging trees. Eig and Herbert attempt to guide the two warriors in their pruning, but it is unclear whether their efforts are successful or not. In any event, after several hours, the druids believe that their directions are yielding fruit; the Oytwood seems to be yielding to them, allowing the Company to make distance in towards the center of the forest.
Eig then stops Alouicious and Otto, holding up one hand. "I hear woodsmen cutting, and they are not us," he hisses, pointing over to the right. The Company listens carefully at the noises. Indeed, an arhythmic hacking sound comes from before them and to the right, the direction of the least density in the underbrush. The Company prepares themselves for battle, expecting that whatever the Oytwood is guiding towards them is not likely good for their health.
A band of armored ogres bursts out of the wood and stares in surprise at the Company. Diego and Raven both shoot arrows into the leading ogre, slaying him, and the battle is begun. The ogres, while appearing formidable, are sorely outmatched. Pfiffwin shouts and waves a short wand in the ogres' direction; large blocks of ice hail down upon them. Otto charges in among them, hamstringing and lopping off arms with every blow. Diego and Raven, accompanied by Winthrop, slay those in the rear of the ogres' column. Eats Salmon and the druids, who move quickly through the underbrush compared to the armored humans and humanoids, entangle the ogres in the underbrush and tree limbs and then maul them. Alouicious and Hugh almost have no one to fight, but quickly join in with the others, finding the weaknesses in the ogres' protection.
The death of the ogre band is quick and violent. The ogres themselves appear to be part of a military organization, as their armor and weapons appear relatively uniform, especially for ogres. A search of their equipment turns up badges containing a triangle with a small black square on it. It appears as if the Bergheim Mercenaries are active in the area. Besides a collection of gold and silver coins, the ogres appear to lack anything else of interest.
"That was nice, with the hailstones," says Otto to Pfiffwin. Pfiffwin puffs up his chest, swelling with pride. "We should think about how to use your illusions tactically, so that we aren't affected, but they are," muses Otto, partly to Pfiffwin and partly to himself. As they begin moving through the forest again, Pfiffwin occasionally pushes his way to the front of the Company to converse with Otto.
The Company pushes further on into the Oytwood until they reach a small river. Comparing the river with the information that Arden gave the Company, it appears as if they have made good time, covering almost half the distance to the center of the Oytwood. Off to the left, up a small hill, seems a defensible campsite, but the Company is too skittish to take such an easy route. Instead, they ford the river and hike another hour into the forest, risking becoming turned about, reasoning that as long as they do not cross the river again, they can lose no ground.
That night, the Company camps in the forest, setting double watches. The night is very eerie, with mists and strange noises echoing around them. A great howling sound sets the Company on edge as the night approaches midnight, and a throbbing, echoing, drumming sound, like a great wind beating against a huge drum, keeps the Company from sleeping in the early morning.
Once the sun has risen and its light illuminated the grayish mists that wreath the trees, the Company prepares to depart. They send Jasper up the nearest tree to orient themselves. Again Jasper sees the Great Tree now towering over him. From where he sits among the decaying foliage, it appears almost as if the limbs of the tree reach out over him. The decay of the Oytwood has certainly increased as the Company has approached the center of the Oytwood. The sickly foliage barely holds together on the trees here and bark comes loose each place he puts his hands and feet. Worst, the fetid miasma rising up from the trees themselves is so strong as to make Jasper's eyes sting. He is very glad for Winthrop's magical stone.
The Oytwood continues to make travel difficult for the Company, but the general decay of the forest makes its efforts less meaningful. The river crossed by the Company seems to have been some dividing line, where outside the river the trees were mostly alive and inside the trees are mostly dead. A black bear, foaming and lurching and covered in tufts and patches of fur, charges towards the Company at one point and even Herbert and Eig see the mercy in slaying the crazed, distraught animal.
Surprisingly, the path the Company has been carving through the doomed forest turns from dirt and trees into a white stone road as quickly as it disappeared before. In front of them, stone buildings made of similar white material and covered with greenery poke out from between the bushes and trees. The Company must be approaching the demesnes of the druids of the Oytwood.
The Company strides down the pale road, weapons drawn and ready. The sun is low in the sky, and they know that speed is of the essence. Should they charge on through or methodically search each building for foes? Otto and Raven confer and decide that, at least for now, it is more important to not be surrounded and assailed on all sides. They will search the buildings.
The sound of running water to the right side of the road alerts the Company of a large stream or small river just out of sight. The total absence of bird or small animal creates a creepy atmosphere, especially when the Company believes they are entering land blessed by the forest gods. Carefully, the Company draws up by the first building, a one story, square building with a tile roof. Otto lowers one shoulder and bulls his way through it.
While the outside of the building appears in good shape, the inside does not. The remains of two beds, rugs, chairs, and a table are visible among the general destruction within. From the large brown stain in the middle of the room, across two small rugs, it appears as if someone or something bled to death in the room. The Company carefully explores the small building, assuring themselves that nothing hides in the corners or in a hidden space.
In the corner furthest from the door is a thick oaken chest with a hinged lid made of marble. Beside the chest lies the skeleton of a human, its bones gnawed and in disarray. Eig and Hugh step forward to look at the chest and the bones respectively. Eig notes that the chest is closed, but not locked. "Must have been a trap, but I don't see one now," he reports, surprising the rest of the Company at his esoteric knowledge.
Hugh holds up a tusked skull. "Hobgoblins," he says with disgust.
