a panthers walk

[Falonthas]

:sitting on a branch watching the children playing in the sunshine outside hempstead:

much has happened in the few seasons since i came from alindor,some good and some not so good

i have found that it seems many people, though the children are fearless, are unsure about druids
they nod politely but maybe its just that not many of us roam where people can see us

hmm well maybe in time they will quell their uncertainties

in my short time of travelling i have come across a few folk who have wandered about with me in learning the large isle of mistone

miss laaren the singing archer and general goblin attractor
semi a strange halfling who vanishes only to appear behind a foe
a handy skill that one
galan a paladin of toran- very confidant in his faith though a bit headstrong at times
boltar i had never heard of a muscial dwarf until i met him

there are others who wander by from time to time as well

i wonder as i learn more of natures gift if i will gain more friends or be more excluded as my oaths create my path

the winds did summon everyone to the east, and i found myself before the heriophant himself
a kind peaceful fellow is rhizome of the oak
my steps will be in safe hands under his all watching wisdom

it seems the winds were drawing many together that day to the east
the bird lord plenarius,the white wolf jacchri
miss katrien mistress of sound i think she was mentioned as by the tower scroll
miss ferrit, she and her guild make things she was draw east as well

the halfling bard acacea, and the shadowwalker vin

all these people and more were all drawn by various means to head to the place of madness, arnax home of all that is mad indeed

our travels took us north from the mad city and after coming across a traveller of voltrex we came to the tower of ozlo

that is a tale of itself,though i think now its good druids see all gods as needed, considering i bit off the finger of the dread high priestess when she was being stubborn to rhizome even wrapped in his roots

corath's chosen may seek me,well let them seek then

my walk is for all the land not for one small view to think they can frighten one of the oaks own with their history of madness and turmoil

:glancing down to the children playing with the wrapped pine cones he made for them:
the world is healing, the sun and stars returned
the plants are standing tall
the animals are growing thick

if my actions that day were not the proper ways to an end
so be it
but the end does justify the ways and means to such


these children are happy ,they have food and water and sunshine to play in for the first time in their lives
its something many took for granted

its something that cannot be taken for granted again

[Falonthas]

::sitting on the branch watching the farmer till his field while the children sit in a circle listening to their mother teach then their letters::

somethings have happened that i should have written down, but slipped my mind at the time

miss laaren, much more then a goblin attractor,they had kidnapped her then took some of her hair for evil magics before casting her out

with some help we were able to get rid of the hair and the one causing all the troubles,letting her come home from the minaret

went travelling with a small group to dregar and the goal was to find silver
my guess is that they needed it to make some things,not sure i see the purpose of smacking a rock to get something from it
though they smack and chop a tree the same way instead of talking to it

it must be a human thing

a travelling salesmen was outside the gates selling from a wagon,assoted things,and one very nice whitewood staff,it has the touch of the old ones,but the price was way more coins then i had found in my wanderings

miss mylindra was there and she saw the staff too and bought it for me as a gift to nature
it is a fine gift indeed, my only hope is to use it in natures best interest


miss jennera had a problem, seems the whole town of krandor had a problem
a dark figure had claimed the crypts below and was sending dead walking to plague the villagers
seeing the parchment and i ran into coyote, we went to offer our aid
it seems many had come to answer the call
the undead hunters of toran,the monk of vorax,a mage i recall from the tower,and a few new faces as well, even shiff and miss rose came to help

seems the local maiden had figured out a way to stop the incursion but she needed three reagents to form her potions

the first two were not so hard to gather,an eyestalk of a beholder mage,and water from the source of high peak lake

with a little bit of travel these were gotten
the third was something that had not been seen for centuries on any of the islands
a dryad'ss tear
just the thought of it made everyone in hearing sigh in sadness
but the maiden said there had been word from the druids of whitehorn that they could help if one worthy could be sent for their aid

the small group with miss jennera in lead and coyote and myself went to the whitehorn to see legodia at unicorn river
once it is said the dryad 's came to the river to drink and they were seen always in the area by travellers,until they became hunted and almost exterminated, until they simply didnt come to visit anyplace anymore

those are the only ones i had even heard of in the last century
so we travelled to see legodia and she welcomed us to her camp
once she was informed of our journey she called forth for one of nature to take oath that if given the gift that his life would be laid down fighting this evil that disturbed the balance
i found myself taking the oath without hesitation and was given a smooth worn branch and told when it was time to use this to focus my mind and prayer to the great oak, and if i was worthy to call my need would be answered
we travelled back to krandor, tired and ill rested but the others had faced worse in the crypt below
they were battered and wounded and not much hope lay on their faces

i took the branch and went to the oak tree just off the small trail, and concentrated on it to reach out to the great oak and its strength to aid us in our need
a mist formed around me and the tree and then a figure appeared, a noble magnificient figure,a dryad of old standing as proud as if he hadnt been made of mist,and he listened to our words and our need of a single tear to aid our restoral of the balance
the dryad gazed upon all present and at once they felt not as tired or weary as they too saw the noble figure
then she shed a single golden tear which turned into a small golden orb in my hand and pressed her hand to the center of my chest before vanishing into the mist as it dissipated

the tear was handed to miss jennera and then the reagents mixed to form a few vials of silvery liquid which were given to the one called quantum

our travels down into the crypt were plagued with more undead and we slowly put them to rest,save we had to pull back several of our comrades who fell fighting on the front line
the figure appeared in his dark robes and attitudes saying he was done and his beast was powered by our efforts to end him

quantum stepped up further and challenged him to single combat, whihc the figure laughed and said he could not be harmed in the depths,so he was splashed with the silvery liquid and then beaten to unconciousness

once we got everyone back above we found the source to his link to the focus far below and purged it with the liquid

the man who was being told he woudl stand trial for crimes, keeled over dead as his source was dissolved

we all sat down, tired and battered, and began to tend our wounds and our fallen

such a strange turn of events
:rubbing the center of his chest glancing down:

it seems being worthy of the dryad is wearing their mark as well,in the center of my chest i have a golden tree symbol exactly where the hand touched me
like my other tattoos but this didnt have feeling when it appeared

i only hope the next stages of my walk i am worthy of the dryads trust in me

:hearing voices below and seeing the children released from their lessons calling up to him to come down and play pinecone toss,a smile comes to his lips and his book is closed and slipped into a pouch:
im coming
:sliding down the trunk and tossing the pinecone high into the air watching the children play under the warm sunshine:

[Falonthas]

i have found one who has spent much time with the dark ones

while roaming through the mountain ranges outside fort vehl,i found myself in the snowpacked dwarven city of brenuth

i found a some familiar faces inside as they had found a gem supposedly an artifact of some kind and were going to return it

i figured why not so i kept them company for a short time,until she spoke that tongue i havent heard for almost six decades

back in the wolfswood, in the deep glades where my mentor had his small hut and stone circle

the day started and ended just like those before it, i was given chores and worked on my skills in fetching and carrying so that he could tend the fire and make the meals
the sun slipped below the thick canopy, andthe cool shadows filled the glade the dancing lights of the fire flies and whispers of the animals near filled the air
then a sudden silence came over one part as the normal noise just ceased all at once
he pushed me into the stump and with a swirl of his staff put the fire out and then stood totally still
my eyes took a second or two to adjust and in the process i heard a strange tongue, or was it
it was elven but not elven, the inflections didnt make sense,like from being from a remote place,and not able to stay with subtle changes
my eyes completely adapted and i saw them just beyond the glade verge, black skinned and white haired the five were,small bows slung over their wrists,and silent metal mesh visible in the near darkness over their chests and legs
the dark elves were afoot in the woods ,and where they came from or where they were headed was not known
my evil kin kept their voices low but with the animals falling silent it stood out as if they were shouting
only pieces of words made any sense, their dialect not elven at all anymore, but a corrupted form
they slowly moved just beyond the glade and then he went into motion
i had never seen such movement before from the old one,his staff in his right hand as with a few whispered syllables, he brought down natures fury on the foul kin of the depths
fire and lightning shattered the calm night skies, and covered the dark ones,burning and searing their highly sensitive eyes, rending flesh from bone , the metal they wore fusing to their bodies under the intense heat and electricity crackling over their forms
one of them tried to force himself standing as his four companions lay soaked in burning blood their lives stripped form their flesh
a whir and whistle of his staff and its solid mahogany smacked the side of the dark elven head and the crack of its neck was audible to all within one hundred feet, as it too dropped to the earth
knowing the threat was ended i slipped into a resting state to think about what had gone on
in the morning i asked the old one where the bodies were, for when i went to fetch water, there was no sign of them

he said simply back to the twisted depth that birthed them, and for me not to seek them or the trail

he looked up from the writing and his gaze took in the burbling stream,and the small grotto where the badgers and minks were rushing about in the fresh water

this one who spoke the dark tongue would bear watching
and if she took the balance one way to far then she would meet the fate like those so long ago

::slipping down from the branch and putting his small book away he shifted and dove into the water as a badger like the others and played with his friends::

[Falonthas]

seems that even in peace there are those trying to rip such apart

kidnapped farmers and strange symbols led us to a dark and sinister place, filled with vampires and their master

after attending to his minions we entered his dark place a citadel of sorts and there he sat in repose in his tower watching all, this dream giver

a shame his mastery over a drake was as tenuous as his dream granting powers

a simple spell giving the drake a clear head and then he aided us in killing this denizen of the walking dead, i will have to watch storold more often to see his spells and see if any coincide with natures touch

the city is quiet for now but we watch for any signs of its revival malignant in the east through the desert

-----
something is making me seek out ones who ask about dragons

im not sure why but anytime it comes point of conversation, i am urged to find out all i can about those who seek

that lady kathreen, she wanted dragon information, maybe i shall seek her out to find out what this urge is for


though why would anyone want to know where dragons are

the few who we do know where they lair are avoided to keep their tempers in check and not to harm the innocents who live on the isles

ill have to check more into these people who seek them, not only to satisfy this urge but to see what is it that dragons cause such intrigue to rich city folk

[Falonthas]

*sitting on his branch watching the farmers till the fields*

it has been some time since i took the time to copy my thoughts

a shadowy figure follows people about, a dimwit barbarian who wishes to fight at every crossing
saving a small metallic named earth whisperer from his tormentors

and hunting those lightning weres

i have never in my short life met a mage who was so skittish around something that may be following him

omer has a shadow, and it makes him paranoid of sorts, though he wont actually tell us what it is

i have taken pause in learning some city skills to get back more to the wilds and let my spirit soar once more

there is that dimwit with the axe who simply thinks there is nothing to do besides fight
maybe one day he will take a hit to the head and find out there is more to life especially a short human one then fighting

a routine trip to the brechs to practice paw to paw combat turned into something much more

we found a caravan of sorts shredded and laying in ruin, though it was freshly done as some of the bodies were still warm to the touch

my nose burned when trying to track the cause, and that has happened only once before, so i hoped it was different causes

we came to a ledge over the crevasse filled valley and found a spirit fighting a small blood covered shape, which as we got closer was a young metallic

we fought off the spirit and healed him, earth whisperer is his name, though he was weak from being tortured by its human captors

though his scales were dark i think he will grow to be a noble bronze in the years to come, and we sat with him and removed the metal wires with barbs that was cutting his legs and wing

even though he lashed my leg with his tail when he was still dazed we sat and healed his wounds as much as we could and packed them with herbs

omer and tegan kept the two away that wished him to be killed, while avar and me gave him meat and water and sat with him while he rested from his ordeal

after a few hours his scales closed the wounds as his body healed with our help and he could sit up and walk though with a slight limp

he told us his captors had been humans wearing corathite robes and they kept him bound in wire and tortured him daily until he was able to break free in the hills

he is safe now with guards watching over him as he finishes regaining his strength before he is ready to fly back to voltrex to grow more

a noble soul is the young dragon, nothing like the tales of the evil ones who live in deep places
earth whisperer shall grow strong and i think will be a good ally in the times to come

*rubbing his scars on his side* never have i seen anything strike faster then krys or jenn, but these were's were like lightning finding holes to exploit

even in my cheetah form they were hard to lay a paw on, though when they surprised our impromptu campsite i didnt even see the raking claws that sent me into blackness

i awoke to abi and eghaas looking over me and rose stepping back from her spell

the beast had reverted to a black wolf, and i dont think our bouts with the were's are done yet

*glancing down to see the farmers almost done with the field, his leaves are rolled up and slipped into a pouch and with light feet he slips to the freshly tilled earth, pulling a handful of seeds from his pouch and spreading them about to grow with the farmers crop* a symbiot to help your crop grow strong and yield well

* a wave from the farmer as he shifted into a bird and soared up and into the blue skies*

[Falonthas]

i wish i could see rhizome again, i have questions for him that legodia didnt even try to answer

it seems that druids of late save by the people around hempstead because they see me alot, have fallen into disrepute

i get sneers and ill comments when i tell them i am a druid

the hemspstead farmers dont sneer at me, they like when i help them weed their fields as a boar, and dig deep furrows as a badger

is it just that druids are not being seen as helpful anymore elsewhere in the isles?

there was one who took the shifter path, he hasnt been seen for a while now, and another i have come across who has taken the same path

they gave off their magic and primal side to find stronger forms for their goals

not many druids walk among the people, myself and pallena, maybe one or two others who havent taken the shifting path

maybe in their goals they have forgotten that we are here to tend the oak and all its wilds, keeping the delicate balance

not swooping about as baby dragons, or scaring folk as spider kin

i shall not leave the path i set my foot upon following my mentors teachings

i shall tend the land, and guard the wilds, and keep their eyes in balance and not clouded by such trivial things

they have forgotten we are outside those laws of temple and city creation

we answer to the heirophant and to the council when he so convenes it

the wisdom of those gather the knowledge of the ages and use it for the best interest of everyone good evil, lawbiding or chaos inducing

without one facet the other has no reason to exist

they all sit in gentle balance until one side grows too much and it is the druids task to set it back to proper levels

i will send word to rhizome and maybe he has seen and felt the same anger toward certain aspects on the winds

until then i shall continue aiding the farmers and people of hempstead and the surrounding area

i may even clean up that old circle to the south, maybe that will help restore the balance through that area
since their are tales of spirits not at rest plaguing the roads at night

i may head to dregar for a time to clear my head and open my eyes

*slipping down from his branch and light footfalls take him into the dapplegreen*

[Falonthas]

i gave into my primal side and now their is uproar amongst the so called law tenders

they know i dont follow their laws yet try to convince me to come before them anyway

the fur hunter johan that had for years before the end of the war sent millions of animals to their deaths, came out of retirement for the pelt of the rare golden bear

when talking with freckled owl he said the poachers and hunters were more hurtsome then granting the bear pelt so i escorted a group to gather the bear

when it was shown to johan he was so maliciously wanton in his masterwork it make anger rise within me i have never felt before

i shifted into a brown bear and the beast that he had taken so many pelts from put an end to him in one bite in the center of his chest

the animals spirits now rest, but i fear my primal side appearring more and more now
i dont care for the humans and their petty laws

natures law is all that rings true, and it comes to bear against my oaths to help as well

the strongest shall survive, and my animal side is very strong

perhaps its time to alter my path and find out the other forms that lay within natures gift

when i helped the small dragons i envied them to fly and soar as they do

perhaps my helping the wyrms are what has shaped my path to this moment, and now its to follow the everchanging to achieve that goal

i must study them more and find the way to embrace them before becoming one of them

perhaps the time has come to change my paws for the wings of the dragons

perhaps the time has come for the next evolutionary step

[Falonthas]

the humans are amusing
they call to arms to have me tried by their courts
their courts have no hold over me but amusing they still are

i have been watching the dark ones, their movements the way their actions are bound only by the fury held within them

i think they have seen me watching them but they simply accept that i am observing their ways

when humans comes to close to their boundaries they are killed without hesitation with spell and claw

the dragons have caught my eye again

i have sat watching the smaller wyrms in their actions as well

to be able to open myself to the primal side i felt, i fear it and crave it all the same
the old one once told me the difference between the light and the dark was how the ends were reached
semantics his word was

both primal one always in constant control
one as wild as their spirit could soar

my clan still roams alindor, wild free and never doubting who they are
i was born to be one of natures
and only nature controls the instinct inside

these dragons that people fear so much
i will go and see about unlocking my primal side with the same skill i hold over my animal forms, a thought and a shift and hands become paws and teeth become fangs

i must look inside to find that primal spot and embrace it to unleash its strength

[Falonthas]

in a rare hour when not shifted into a cat:
these humans and their so called justice

i have been sequestered in this jail is their word for it for nearly a year if not longer

the time doesnt seem to pass with the sun not in full view

they shuttered my window after that dwarf was throwing weapons at the bars

they claim its for my safety

all it does is keep me from nature that much more

the birds fear to come to speak with me to tell me things, though one brave sparrow brought sad tidings of the old mage having returned to the oak

no sunlight
no fresh food, only the slop these guards of the humans subsist on
no fresh water, it tastes like its drained through rotted leaves

the guard who brought me said justice was swift

the only thing swift is the decay that represents the morass they move through

my skin is pale now, untouched by the suns rays for so long
my hair is knotted when im not shifted

if this is human justice, then they can all rot in the pits

let them see how well i aid them in the future when they need it so

i may let them suffer and wallow in their squallor as they are inflicting upon me

their word is murder of an old human

mine is retribution for all those he sent to their deaths for his pathetic cloaks

i have spent so long hours shifted i havent thought about much beyond my paws once again in the grass and the streams

i have found my primal side in this protection they have deigned this place to be
pfft protection from what

who is the real criminal here

the closer of a circle of death

or the ones who torture one who doesnt keep well in small dank spaces, when i came under my own power

i could have simply flown away, but they dont think about that when they feed me the slop and water

they will learn soon enough

[Falonthas]

: a page scratched with claws as if a paw swiped it when asleep.....a bear paw that is:

[Falonthas]

*sitting in the enspelled cell with a large window as he looks out and sighs not able to touch the wilds*

the humans had their trial

they brought me into another cage and had humans sit in judgement

this judge human had ponytails growing from his nose as did his companion who stood behind him though his pony tails were not as well grown

they say a human is worth more then an animal

that an animals death means nothing

and i am to be caged for two years before being banished from human places

the outpost hlint and the big bird city hempstead

perhaps when i speak with the council they will decide the outpost hlint and the big bird city have no need for druid involvement at all within their areas that law of the land is really for the city

perhaps they will decide to still have us help the humans who dont hide inside the big walls from the beasts who walk on two legs and would eat them

i received a sparrow message and im to temper my actions with much thought beforehand

maybe i shall simply return to alindor and roam the woods there

or the dragon isles since mistone seems to not need druids cause they have cities

i feel sorry for the young leaves that dont know how foul cities are and could run into their laws that for humans are one thing and for druids are another

the mage casting spells at me in the town still walks without being caged

i was told my first visit no spells in city

perhaps its time the humans make one rule for all if they decide they can judge all

i await more word from the council on what they wish my actions to be after i am turned from this cage of spells

maybe a nice trip to the silkwood, since the cities dont bother coming there

then whatever happens druid law will be the judge

[Falonthas]

jail

the window is open at least and i can get the sunlight once again

but the spells keep me in and the animals cant bring nuts or berries anymore

the sludge they call food isnt even recognizable as what it was made of or if it was made from anything edible at one time

the water in the bowls is brownish

you would think the city having such high expectations for itself would have a fresh spring for water

perhaps another year of hibernation is in order then maybe ill be hungry and thirsty enough to stomach what they are offering as sustenance

highly doubtful though

they could at least find fresh meat and berries, its not like they would have to go far to catch a fish

[Falonthas]

:sitting in the center of the cell in the sunlight the spelled window allows inside his eyes are closed and in a trancelike state:

his mind soars high and images becomes slightly clearer
wings like a bird though of skin
paws like a cheetah though in smaller proportion
talons like knives
elongated snout
a tail for perfect balance in the air
extended torso for smooth movements in flight
and the heated whisps from the nostrils revealing the hidden fires

:blinking open his eyes and coming back into his immediate surroundings:

yes that is the next stage
to be as earth whisperer

to be dragonkin in form
: he chuckles slightly:
he will sit for his so called crime and languish on the slop and pathetic excuse for sustenance

and when released he will explore that side hidden away that must be awakened

the quiet leaf had tapped into his primal essence
it should not be that difficult
perhaps a trip to see earth whisperer will help unlock what i cant as yet touch

i shall go see my dragon friend

:with a blink he shifts into a small black cat and curls up into the bright sunlight streaming through the enspelled window:

[Falonthas]

: a slight movement is the only tell tale sign he lives in the sunlight of the window slightly shimmering with the spells to keep him within:

i have been dreaming in my long hours ,though not like humans do

reaching inside and touching the primal parts of my existance

feeling the unawakened parts simply slumbering until the right time for mine eyes and mind to touch and see

to bring full balance to that which lies deep in the core

to serve the oak in a everchanging manner as depends on the situation lying before me at the time

wings of scaled brilliance
eyes of far seeing wisdom
to evolve into our brethren
to see what the druids of old saw when both sides walked as one

the twins circles the druid in the foreground
the everchanging in the back
yet as one
and all striving to the perfect balance of all sides and shapes

this dream is plaguing my calm
it must be examined and revealed