Tales Never Finished

[Acacea]

((I've been on a few quests that had portions I enjoyed very much, or had stories that I always thought shouldn't just belong to one or two people, and repeatedly made starts on narratives for them, just for my own personal enjoyment. I never finish them, and update them only sporadically, and some will be erased for all time by new lore and new quests, but I decided that I would just post them and update them whenever I felt like regardless. So I'm just making one post per quest, and then after that only updating when one of those posts is updated...I'm not a brilliant writer, but some of the logs I have from brilliant players or DMs always seemed too funny or pretty or world changing not to share! In other cases, I just wanted to rescue things from my hard drive before they disappeared, heh. Edit - I also decided to add non-quest stories Acacea has told here and there, just because she never writes her own stories down and I have kept them out of her CDT for that reason.))

[Acacea]

A Mother's Gift - Athus' ECDQ

((Log from A Night of Tales some time ago; neither the quest nor the log of the storytelling ever made it into full narrative - probably be a good thing considering the holes in the story that we never quite filled in. Warning, description of mountain is a little graphic.))

Acacea Thistletounge: *She settles down and arranges herself comfortably.* This story is very much a long one, even though it could conceivably be shortened to "we went somewhere and whacked someone and then went somewhere else and all was well again."

Addison Scarlace: *sips from an unmarked bottle*
Freldo Jabutica: *smiles*
Plenarius Ashaley: *he turns around and yells to the back* Hey STORY'S Starting!
Daeron Stormcloud: *rolls his eyes*
Emerald Skye: *giggles*

Acacea Thistletounge: It also is incomplete in some places, where we still do not understand how or why some things happened the way that they did. But! Like most important stories, there are several others that are a part of it and that need to be at least touched on just so that it can properly be understood, even if we didn't get all of those pieces at once.
Acacea Thistletounge: *She twirls a finger.* You know...

Triba Gues: Shut up Alantha!
Rayenoir: *laughs*

Acacea Thistletounge: I am pretty sure that there is a good witty analogy for that, but I will just settle for saying that if you want to get some munchies or something, you'd better do it now! Having someone pass out of starvation would be rather poor for my reputation.
Acacea Thistletounge: Har!
Acacea Thistletounge: Yeah!
Acacea Thistletounge: And come to think about it!
Acacea Thistletounge: Actually, having someone stick around long enough to die of starvation would be a lot better than everyone ditching me for food!

Freldo Jabutica: *nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She grins and waves a hand dismissively.* It's a compliment, so waste away as you will.
Acacea Thistletounge: Well, like most stories, however many others that may be tied up in it, there still is a place at the heart of it. And the place at the heart of -this- story I think, is Willow's Weep.
Acacea Thistletounge: It is a very sleepy sort of town in northern Dregar, which is mostly known for the tomb of fallen heroes that is there. It is a subdued place of final rest, the kind of place that the sky is always weeping a light rain onto.
Acacea Thistletounge: It lies at a specific location...though really I guess anything located anywhere is located specifically there... you can't be SORT of ...right, ahem. Anyway.

Triba Gues: **she nods a little and unwraps some pie she brought along*

Acacea Thistletounge: It is maybe the only place in the world where Divination kisses Necromancy and remains in balance; the crypts are in that place for that reason. They are opposing forces, foci of Orn and Ausir, that meet in Willow's Weep and light up the town in a melancholic aura on nights of full moons.

Freldo Jabutica: *grins*

Acacea Thistletounge: These forces were I think kept in balance with each other by the Harper of Ilsare before his passing; the one before him as well? I do not know, but I know that Caranthir would pass through the town and sing at the tombs, and it would be well.

Acacea Thistletounge: There are a lot of guesses and assumptions to riddles from just pieced together information, but the balance of forces there -was- said to grant the dead at rest, eternal peace in death.

Acacea Thistletounge: But a place with properties so relating to the end of the Cycle will of course be sought out by those seeking to take advantage.
Acacea Thistletounge: There was maybe no easier time for that to happen, then at the last passing of the Harp... When the world erupted in discord, and there wasn't that... primal force to keep the magic in balance.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She shrugs a little and glances around.* What better time to make your move, than when everything is in chaos, both around and above?

Acacea Thistletounge: That was the kind of time that Darious Dephillie found himself in.

Acacea Thistletounge: A priest of Aeridin, with a wife devoted in both love and faith, and a son that had been left cared for back on Mistone. Hardly the uncaring abandoners, the desire rooted most deeply in the hearts of both parents was to leave Dregar to visit their son.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She waves a hand vaguely.* Darious was active in the clergy and finally the duties he had fulfilled more than allowed him some time with his family.

Acacea Thistletounge: He and his wife were more than anything looking forward to being with their child again, as you can imagine... but there came the day that he discovered the magic in the crypt.

Acacea Thistletounge: It was not a small thing, not something he could inform the temple to handle on his way out the door. In fact, what he saw was so horrible that he wouldn't even tell Leidanos, a close friend among the priests, for fear that he would give information under torture.

Acacea Thistletounge: Well...

Acacea Thistletounge: Despite the reunion that they had been eagerly anticipating, Darious and his wife unloaded their bags and returned them to their room, where they would remain.

Acacea Thistletounge: The only thing that this priest would say to the other, was that the Soul Mother herself was behind it, abusing the magic there to the point where if she was successful, her power would be tripled at least, somehow ensuring that she would "rule with an iron fist," and destroy everything that the Lifegiver had taught and stood for.

Acacea Thistletounge: Can you imagine though, her having so much power, when she is already so feared? She could just reach into the world at will and take what she wanted, no trial no jury no chance, just her whim.

Acacea Thistletounge: She already is a soul thief, but she wanted what "should be the dominion of the Lifegiver."

Acacea Thistletounge: *She glances over at Cole and then back around*

Acacea Thistletounge: At this point... Lestia, the wife of Darious, had come down with some obscure disease that the priests couldn't do anything about...

Acacea Thistletounge: Really, their efforts to heal her were about as effective as spitting on a giant fire elemental, and boy if you haven't tried that, well...!

Acacea Thistletounge: *She gives a lopsided grin.* I mean, yeah. Don't.

Triba Gues: *she grins*
Freldo Jabutica: *smiles slightly*

Acacea Thistletounge: They hoped that a new Harper would come to power, and be able to restore the balance of the place, but while the world stopped spewing discord, no Harper came to the Weep; would it have helped by then, or was it too late? Who knows, likely the latter.

Acacea Thistletounge: By most accounts they simply left and did not return, though a small few know of the trials they went through to seal the magic in the tomb. They crossed continents looking for information on planar rituals, divine seals.

Cole Norseman: *takes a deep breath but smiles reassuringly to Addy*

Acacea Thistletounge: They spoke with Moraken, delved in the Outer Mind in Spellgard for what they needed, implored Elrohir in the Forest of Mists for information.
Acacea Thistletounge: The saddest part is that when they looked forward on the road they were on, they saw ...maybe not failure, but the impossibility of a complete success.

Plenarius Ashaley: **he thinks back a bit and nods at that*
Cole Norseman: *glances hard at her, squeezing her thigh*

Acacea Thistletounge: Seals balanced with opposing forces require a balance kept between them, and will deteriorate over time if it is not.
Acacea Thistletounge: Just as the Harper kept the balance of the place before.
Acacea Thistletounge: More than that, they knew despite their wishes in life that it was something they would likely not be returning from...
Acacea Thistletounge: The Ilsarian priestesses in Hlint can vaguely recall marrying two of the friends in the small group, an Ilsarian and Lucindite.
Acacea Thistletounge: They smiled and it was a happy moment, but they remember a sadness around them, as if they knew it wouldn't last for long.
Acacea Thistletounge: They got their information they needed on the ritual they needed to perform, and several key focus locations tied to the allied deities they were faithful to...
Acacea Thistletounge: In order to perform the ritual in the necessary manner... har well. I'm sure I don't need to go into detail, you know how those rituals go.
Acacea Thistletounge: Overly drawn out and complicated and requiring super rare components and cross continental trips. The works!
Acacea Thistletounge: Mithrils and rubies. *She grins a little at Plenarius.*

Plenarius Ashaley: Never seems to be Get a Skellie Knuckle and place it here
Triba Gues: *Laughs*

Acacea Thistletounge: No kidding! The first trip was to the Silent Watch, the magic there used to infuse a gem to carry as a focus later in the ritual.

Acacea Thistletounge: The next by the accounts of a children's book, of all things--the next time you think of throwing away some copy about talking dogs that you were read as a child, do keep it for some serious riddle solving later--

Freldo Jabutica: *smiles broadly*
AnnaLee McGregger: *smiles slightly*

Acacea Thistletounge: Would be for Aeridin, and his Living Fountains which presented a great problem for the group. A road into Xantril that they had neither the time nor the numbers for.
Acacea Thistletounge: While they needed to complete the seal, they also needed to do it in time, and alive enough at the end to perform the ritual. In the case of the seals, it is much like some funny table that will stand on only a few of its legs providing you have the ones in key places.

Freldo Jabutica: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: Their whole journey was a race with no good destination, but it had fallen on all of them to see it through, and so they simply opted to skip that road.
Acacea Thistletounge: So they did not go to what once was the Lifegiver's Living Fountains, instead moving on to the Thunder Peaks for Kith.
Acacea Thistletounge: And from there... the Great Oak should have been the next, could they have gone? Was it dire enough a need for them to be allowed? I have no idea.
Acacea Thistletounge: But the last place they went to was to the Lilanthier forest, in name of Ilsare.

Cole Norseman: *chokes and coughs*

Acacea Thistletounge: All allies to the Preserver of Life, and each companion having answered Darious' call when he and the world needed it.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She glances over to Cole curiously.*

Rayenoir: *looks at Cole*
Addison Scarlace: *politely smiles and blushes motioning Acacea to please continue*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She looks momentarily grossed out and sort of smooths her hands over her skirt.*

Acacea Thistletounge: Roight..

Acacea Thistletounge: Anyway...

Cole Norseman: **waves a hand and settles himself*

Acacea Thistletounge: Together they went into the tombs and the five faithful sealed the magic in it, rather a slap on the hand of the Soul Mother as she reached it out of the tomb and into the world.

Acacea Thistletounge: It is hard to explain the enormity of what was done--the world owes them, but few average people know that anything was done, let alone by whom.

Acacea Thistletounge: Danielle Naisemil, Darious and Lestia Dephillie, Wildheart, Greenblossom, Nadia.

Acacea Thistletounge: They went into the tomb of fallen heroes at Orn's Height, often known as the Cycle's End, where many contemplate the new begining of the cycle in fasting and meditation.

Acacea Thistletounge: While others were "contemplating," they gave their lives in performing the ritual. They were presumed dead; no bodies ever were found, to the horror of people who were waiting.

Acacea Thistletounge: Lestia... She saw her friends and her lover fade into the seals, and she had a dream; a true vision, she thought.

Acacea Thistletounge: She saw herself in a glade full of beautiful trees and living fountains, her friends present and pleading with her to save them. For her help. In her dream, her womb became warm, "and from it her blood was brought forth drained into one of the weeping willows," and her husband, along with their friends, was liberated.

Acacea Thistletounge: She was sure of what it meant... Her friends had somehow been lured there...to Aeridin's glade, that they'd skipped, by deception somehow, and she was to save them.

Acacea Thistletounge: She told the Sage Elrohir of her dream, and she left for the east and did not return.

Acacea Thistletounge: There is much that we do not know still, that I wish we had found out, if only for the sake of telling a proper story, but ...

Acacea Thistletounge: A few days from when Leidanos had seen his friend Darious last, he found a letter from him instructing him to watch for a particular magic showing itself around Willow's Weep

Acacea Thistletounge: Or if -She- seemed particularly ..gainful of what she snatched so regularly already.

Acacea Thistletounge: He left his holy symbol to be given to his son if it should happen.

Acacea Thistletounge: Lestia's diary also left behind.

Acacea Thistletounge: Ten years after what must have been a truly desperate race to stave off the strange disease and the nastiness that empowered and spread it...

Acacea Thistletounge: At a time when many of those Summoned had fallen for the last time, not to be risen again...

Acacea Thistletounge: I am sure some of you can remember, when friends seemed to be falling everywhere, last strands of soul clutched and taken, nothing left to tie them here.

Acacea Thistletounge: It was several years ago. At this time, things began to change again around the sleepy town.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She frowns at the floor as if thinking of how exactly to phrase something, then glances up again.* There are people living there as any other, common people, who live from day to day making their small livings.

Acacea Thistletounge: Imagine... a tailor. *She glances at Plenarius again.* They were common enough.

Acacea Thistletounge: She catches a cold... she sneezes... *She waves a hand dismissively.* and is miserable and then she gets over it or it worsens, but it is known and is not a big deal.

Acacea Thistletounge: Or she gets hit by a flamin' wagon driven by an ox team gone mad; you know what happened, the priests can fix her, or not, but you know, she knows, and she's got the clear broken bones to show for it.

Freldo Jabutica: *smiles broadly*

Acacea Thistletounge: We don't like things like that, but we understand them and there are few things that a Healer of Aeridin cannot address.

Acacea Thistletounge: But this... imagine instead, that one day, our tailor wakes up, and doesn't want to get out of bed. Happens all the time; who really wants to get up in the morning, anyhow?

Plenarius Ashaley: *he lets out a sigh*

Acacea Thistletounge: Its not that there is -so- much to do, but rather that our tailor suddenly wonders why she does it.

Acacea Thistletounge: She is tired.

Acacea Thistletounge: Or at least that is how it starts, anyway... she sinks into a growing depression.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She raises an eyebrow.* No problem, really? It happens.

Acacea Thistletounge: Soon she will not sleep. She throws herself out of the bed in the night and screams in her sleep, hallucinates in the day.

Acacea Thistletounge: She shrinks from things no one can see and her body does not take in food.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She rubs her forehead.* She no longer speaks; she only screams, moans in terror from things that...you can't see.

Acacea Thistletounge: Much like an animal that has lost its mate, imagine a woman dying of sheer sorrow.

Freldo Jabutica: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: The healers can do nothing for the tailor who has simply had the will to live sapped from her, for the draining sickness that leeched her spirit away and turned her into a lesser form of herself.

Acacea Thistletounge: It's bad. And I think most can see that.

Acacea Thistletounge: But envision it as a plague.

Plenarius Ashaley: **he places his elbow on the table and props his chin up with a sad expression*

Acacea Thistletounge: A whole town afflicted with it.

Cole Norseman: *grimaces*

Acacea Thistletounge: Just the town? What of the healers who come in to treat it, taking it back with them?

Triba Gues: *She squeezes Plen's shoulder and whispers something to him ruffling his feathers a bit*

Acacea Thistletounge: Diseases spread easily enough, but it originated with Willow's Weep.

Acacea Thistletounge: The place of rest had turned to a place where the air hung heavy around you, feeling stagnant, and the few people still walking around would or could not lift their eyes to meet yours.

Acacea Thistletounge: Picture, if you can, a place that the Harper of Ilsare enters and is struck from her feet by a thousand voices screaming in pain and discord.

Freldo Jabutica: *grins*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She glances at Rev.* Screaming in despair about everything that is wrong and bad in this world.

Acacea Thistletounge: If you can imagine Reventage D'vinn needing to be carried shrieking out of Willow's Weep in the absence of Harmony, then maybe some idea will be in place, of just what was seeping out of the tomb.

Acacea Thistletounge: If you can...then you can understand why they called for help.

Acacea Thistletounge: And with the letter that Darious had left for his friend, you no doubt also understand why Leidanos called for Athus Dephillie, now grown and among the most powerful Healers of Aeridin walking.

Acacea Thistletounge: In a single day he learned the fate of his parents that had never returned for him, was given his mother's diary and the Holy Symbol his father had left for him. should these things come to pass again.

Addison Scarlace: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: He learned of the disease taking lives and the lack of a cure.

Acacea Thistletounge: And that somehow it was the doing of a very devious sort of Mother.

Acacea Thistletounge: He learned that there was -some- kind of ritual done at Orn's height, and he learned that somehow he needed to do -something.-

Acacea Thistletounge: It was a very lot to absorb in a single day, many losses bundled into a long conversation.

Acacea Thistletounge: He went to the tomb and found the fading Seal with symbols of the five allied deities around the base.

Acacea Thistletounge: There were traces of blood remaining, though we thought little of it at the time, I think.

Acacea Thistletounge: From there to Moraken to seek information on it...we found ourselves retracing the steps of those who had come before us, gathering pieces in the places they had visited and putting them together on the way or not at all.

Acacea Thistletounge: Can you imagine a bunch of priests of things like love and nature being sent to learn about "Pentagrammical Sequential Borderline Weave Sealments?"

Acacea Thistletounge: *She snickers slightly just saying it.* I can!

Triba Gues: *She snickers*

Acacea Thistletounge: Because, my oh-so-sleepy audience, it was funnier than a chicken slaying a Medusa with its mighty talons.

Acacea Thistletounge: And I know you think I'm joking about the chicken.


Cole Norseman: **shakes his head, rolling his eyes*
Freldo Jabutica: *smiles broadly*
Reventage D'vinn: *she smiles a bit and takes another sip from the glass*
Plenarius Ashaley: **smirks*
AnnaLee McGregger: *looks at Acacea bemused*

Acacea Thistletounge: As I said, we went to these places--even spoke with Danielle's sister, now a high standing priestess in the Ardhon Gis, the Planeward of the Lucindite church, who was invaluable in providing information and the list of possible locations we needed to imbue the gems with.

Connor Garvill: *smirks a bit*

Acacea Thistletounge: She's actually been here before, I'm sure someone knows Saralen...

Freldo Jabutica: *shrugs*

Acacea Thistletounge: We discovered that the first ritual had actually been completed by a heavenly being of some kind; one of the five did not take part.
Acacea Thistletounge: Likely a giant bird, but hey...

Triba Gues: Heh..
Freldo Jabutica: *grins8

Acacea Thistletounge: We didn't know what we were on about and just referred to it as "the Celestial Guy."

Acacea Thistletounge: All we found out was that when it left, it took something with it--a soul, or a shard of one. *She smiles a little...* Things are a little clearer now

Acacea Thistletounge: But not by much. It was a broken soul, that was carried away to other realms.

Jennara Creekskipper: *nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: We started to walk again the road that the others had before us--

Acacea Thistletounge: The first, if you recall, was in the Silent Watch mountains... I am not sure how many know of how it was before, but after a bunch of drow essentially had some shadow-rift love with the place, I am not sure there is much of anything in it except shadows and a whole lotta death.

Acacea Thistletounge: But really! This was routine for this group!
Acacea Thistletounge: *She grins...*
Acacea Thistletounge: Athus Dephillie...
Acacea Thistletounge: Reventage D'vinn...
Acacea Thistletounge: Kobal Bluntaxe...

Reventage D'vinn: *lifts her glass a bit and nods to Acacea when she is named*

Acacea Thistletounge: Synal'dur Hano'del, Plenarius Ashaley, and of course! Acacea.

Triba Gues: Woo for Acacea!
Freldo Jabutica: *grins*
AnnaLee McGregger: *smiles slightly*
Triba Gues: *She snickers and shuts up*

Acacea Thistletounge: Plenarius was nesting when we went to the Silent Watch but honestly some of those people can eat a few glooms for breakfast, anyhow, what's one or two?

Plenarius Ashaley: I hate paperwork
Freldo Jabutica: *grins*

Acacea Thistletounge: I could really just say "we did it and left" but who doesn't want to hear of Toran's mightiest moment to date on Layonara?

--

Acacea Thistletounge: *She glances around.* I was actually expecting a lot of hands raised.
Acacea Thistletounge: But I was going to tell it anyway.

Rayenoir: *smiles a little*
Addison Scarlace: *squeezes Cole's hand*
Freldo Jabutica: *grins* sorry... *raises his hand*

Acacea Thistletounge: Because as it turns out, it was a bit harder for them to eat gloom on rye when they reached for the Weave and had it unexpectedly twist in their grasp, wildly causing them to kick their own arses.

Acacea Thistletounge: There was much scrabbling around in the pitch dark; Kobal fell... there might have been some minor hat-explosion magic twisting involved.

AnnaLee McGregger: *raises an eyebrow*

Acacea Thistletounge: And well you know me and how I hate to make light of situations but...

Triba Gues: *She grins at that*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She grins at Rev with an "I'm so dead" kind of smirk*

Acacea Thistletounge: Well Athus and Rev were running around like crazy trying not to get beaten by this -single- gloom staggering around after them, while its medusa buddy mostly just hung out and looked amused, or at least as amused as a thing like that can which probably isn't much.

Cole Norseman: *smiles softly to Addison*

Acacea Thistletounge: It was suddenly this dire situation, unexpected but I guess most dire situations are!
Acacea Thistletounge: I manage to dive for Syn with a few potions and stop him from bleeding his life out in a nasty place like that, and he gets up and of course we're trying to heal other people...
Acacea Thistletounge: The gloom eventually falls with the paladin's help, and they move on to the medusa, which had been really irritating with the "hitting from afar" game.
Acacea Thistletounge: He makes the move on it, but that doesn't go -nearly- as well, and er, har, well, he is rapidly cut to pieces in front of us, or nearly!
Acacea Thistletounge: Until he ...what? Does he try to heal himself with his paladinly divine connection? I haven't the faintest
Acacea Thistletounge: But he calls on the might of Toran, who must have been seriously under the influence, and we watched Syn transformed into a chicken at a really bad moment.

Triba Gues: Heee
Daeron Stormcloud: *grins amused*
Mith: haha *coughs*

Acacea Thistletounge: I was thinking some pretty crude thoughts about it at the time, since I was pretty sure we weren't making it out of there when that happened, but Lo!

AnnaLee McGregger: *wrinkles her nose*
Connor Garvill: *snickers*
Cole Norseman: *smirks and whispers* I've heard this part before.... several times....

Acacea Thistletounge: Like I said, he must have been pretty deep in his cups at the time because when I thought we were all dead in a major embarrassing way, the feathers started flying,

Acacea Thistletounge: Talons clawing, people cursing...I was staring...

Acacea Thistletounge: Because I realized!

Acacea Thistletounge: It wasn't Syn's prayer that had been answered, it was soooo mine.

Acacea Thistletounge: Because we all know Toran doesn't really have that great of a sense of humor...

Freldo Jabutica: *grins widely*
Bumblebee: *stops writing, unsure of what he is hearing*

Acacea Thistletounge: And me and the Gnome were good buddies at the time... and frankly I can see Shadon looking down at a paladin calling to his god for help and going "Hmm... that guy needs something... I know! Turn him into a chicken!"

Acacea Thistletounge: "Wait...better... an INVINCIBLE chicken!"

Triba Gues: *She just can't help but burst out laughing*
AnnaLee McGregger: *blinks*
Rayenoir: *laughs at "invincible chicken"*
Plenarius Ashaley: It's not that crazy of a thought

Acacea Thistletounge: Because despite him being so torn up before, Syn-Chicken LAID INTO that medusa so harsh.
Acacea Thistletounge: They took that thing DOWN.

Triba Gues: Heehehe

Acacea Thistletounge: *She just covers her mouth, giggling.*

Acacea Thistletounge: Oh man.
Acacea Thistletounge: Truly it was the highest (lowest) moment among Toran's faithful.

Emerald Skye: **giggles*

Acacea Thistletounge: Honestly after all that buildup, the rest of the Silent Watch trip is fluff... we found the place to imbue a gem to use as the focus, the denizens got all riled up about it, and we had to fight our way back out.
Acacea Thistletounge: All as per usual, really.

Shielle Eventide: *tilts her head, looking more than a little confused, even if she obviously tries to hide it*
Addison Scarlace: *smiles*

Acacea Thistletounge: We had to keep moving onto the places required to imbue the gems to be used in the sealment ritual, and the next stop on the path our feet were on, is a story in itself...
Acacea Thistletounge: And if so much as one person groans, I'm setting your table on fire.

Rayenoir: *looks at the candle on the table, then to Acacea, and grins*
Cole Norseman: ....tempting....
Freldo Jabutica: Looks away

Acacea Thistletounge: *She grins slightly and climbs to her feet, quietly picking the violin up in her hands.*

Rawkwin Valerius: *chuckles*

Acacea Thistletounge: Well...

Freldo Jabutica: *smiles*

Acacea Thistletounge: You see, deep in the Demon Mountains, past Traitor's Ridge, is a place that I doubt even a few have heard of, or would want to hear of.
Acacea Thistletounge: The whole of Xantril is littered with tragedies and horror stories, but this one, this one had farther to fall than most.
Acacea Thistletounge: *She lifts the bow to quietly play under her talking.*
Acacea Thistletounge: Before the coming of Xandrial, it was a place sacred to Aeridin--the First Seeds were planted in this grove...

Acacea Thistletounge: *She quietly draws bow over strings as she speaks, and soft seeds of melody grow and build on themselves, soothing nerves as she speaks over the sound. Somehow the notes seem more the focus than a background; the words merely narrating the gentle refrain of life and growth.*

Shielle Eventide: *lifts a brow curiously*

Acacea Thistletounge: The fountains, herbs, priests, cured all ills and removed any disease. Just breathing in the air was to be renewed with fresh life. The whole place was touched by the Lifegiver.

Acacea Thistletounge: Beautiful. Sacred. Gentle.

Emerald Skye: *stomach growls* sorry *she wispers*
Cole Norseman: *glances over his shoulder*

Acacea Thistletounge casts Amplify
Acacea Thistletounge: *The song spins out around her from the violin, melody taking root and flowering, until she sings quietly a few words under her breath. The sound leaps in volume to fill the room as she violently rips bow across strings in a manner to make any musician fear for their instrument...*

Acacea Thistletounge: *The screeching noise of it sears nerves and shatters completely the peaceful harmony that existed before it. She holds the bow there, her arm bent as she continues speaking in the painful silence left behind.*

Triba Gues: *She winces*

Acacea Thistletounge: When a lord among demons invaded the continent that became named for him, the caretakers of this place were among the first to fall.
Acacea Thistletounge: As in so many other places, death was not the true goal. Suffering is prized more highly than a mere slaughter, after all...

Shielle Eventide: *narrows her eyes dangerously at that*

Acacea Thistletounge: *As her voice carries in the stillness, her fingers move nimbly to the pegs of her instrument, giving a few of them tiny, expert turns that can hardly be noticed, they are made so nonchalantly.*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She exhales heavily and slowly begins playing anew as she speaks, and what sounds like an odd variation on the earlier melody creeps from the strings, barely audible but sounding, feeling, somehow 'off'*

Acacea Thistletounge: Those were instead cursed to live forever staked to the once sacred trees of Aeridin. The Living Fountain was tainted with their blood, corrupted into a foul water that changes those who drink of it into twisted versions of themselves. Demonic...corrupted. Undead.

Acacea Thistletounge: *Slowly the "tune" becomes more distinct; it shudders from the strings in an unnatural imitation of the life it sang of previously. Notes just slightly out of tune clash with others in a discordant symphony, an agonizing mockery of the harmony that once existed in the room.*

Shielle Eventide: *clenches her fists, eyes narrowing further*

Acacea Thistletounge: Their torture could provide only so much entertainment before Xandrial became bored with them and found another use for the area. He hung his betrayers there, roped to the weeping trees of the Lifegiver with barbed chains and other painful restraints.

Emerald Skye: *starts to get pale*

Acacea Thistletounge: *The notes continue to flail and clash in a macabre parade of corruption, discordant tones descending only to spiral upwards again, over and over and over.*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She looks determined to get something across... * Every day for their bodies feasted on by crows and fiendish rodents.

Triba Gues: *She rubs her temples a few times*

Acacea Thistletounge: Every day their lives to be bled out from them in agony.

Acacea Thistletounge: Every-day their lives restored by what was meant as a blessing, twisted in a slap in the face to Aeridin for use to create and extend suffering.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She uses the movement over strings to concentrate on, allowing her to continue past the thought or memory as the distorted melody fills the corners of the room, twisting.*

Emerald Skye: Rawkwin this is too much for me...i must leave...*she sobs*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She watches her go and just continues.* We fought our way through the Demon Mountains to the Mount of Sorrows.

Acacea Thistletounge: Despite driving through demons and undead with only five of us--Plenarius, Reventage, Athus, Syn, and myself--the destination was a hundred times worse than the journey even if we had not had to lift a hand there.

Acacea Thistletounge: We just needed to imbue the gem, and get out.

Rawkwin Valerius: Please pardon us *Follows Em concerned*
Freldo Jabutica: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: It is difficult to use a word like "horrific" when talking to a group of Summoned that can so easily trivialize pain, that either discard daily mortal wounds or continue to weep at every small thing.

Acacea Thistletounge: I do not know how to begin to explain to the Dragoncalled what went on and-goes-on-still in the Demon Mountains.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She jerks her bow over the strings in a jump of minor irritation as a string would jerk a puppet dancing unwillingly, unnaturally.*

Acacea Thistletounge: We stepped around fountains of blood and avoided the screaming bodies that reached for us, wretched sufferers seeking a release that we were unable to provide, to approach a tree stretching upwards in the distance.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She looks focused on a particular point to avoid looking at any one person.*

Connor Garvill: **the corners of his eyes twitch at the discordant notes*

Acacea Thistletounge: That was the place. It was the tree; the Harper stepped up to it, heads hanging from its limbs and the bodies of women carrying children inside them, avoiding the blood dripping from it to infuse the gem.

AnnaLee McGregger: *closes her eyes and winces*

Acacea Thistletounge: All we had to do was infuse the gem and leave. Get out. Away.

Acacea Thistletounge: It was impossible to look around at some of the bodies of woman bound to crosses and not think of who had sought this place before us.

Shielle Eventide: *clenches her fists to the point of her knuckles whitening*

Acacea Thistletounge: They ... we wanted to aid them.

Reventage D'vinn: *her expression doesn't change from her nomal calm one during this segment, she just follows the story as it plays out*

Acacea Thistletounge: We looked over one of the women, wrapped to her cross in barbed chain and being slowly eaten by some kind of demonic rat.

Acacea Thistletounge: Someone struck the rodent from her, flung it away...and another one simply crawled out of her face. I think I was maybe not the only one who threw up, but I was trying not to pay attention.

Acacea Thistletounge: They looked her over as some tried what they could to help.

Acacea Thistletounge: She wore a symbol of Aeridin.

Acacea Thistletounge: All of us had the thought at once and likely all tried to push it away; it would not be surprising for an Aeridinite to be here, after all.

Triba Gues: *She sighs*

Acacea Thistletounge: There would be many.

Acacea Thistletounge: Athus was horrified just at ...the possibility... of course.

Acacea Thistletounge: He held up his Holy Symbol and a bright ray of sunlight pierced through the darkness and eternal gloom of the place, the cross being struck down in front of us.

Acacea Thistletounge: A woman appeared, fleeting and ghostly, rising up out of the boiling waters and crying out with tears of blood the name of her son.

Acacea Thistletounge: *The undertone of discord carried on throughout, wearing at nerves despairingly whenever noticed again, shivers in a dragging series of notes, in anticipation.* We heard the drums of an army aproaching.

Acacea Thistletounge: Should we drag him away from his mother? We could not, but the drumming noise was only getting close--was it drums in true, or just the stampeding noise of thousands upon thousands of demonic feet?

Acacea Thistletounge: *She shrugs slightly.*

Acacea Thistletounge: With all the torment around us, it was hard to remember exactly why we came--our first question was how we could possibly restore this place.

Kyle Pandorn: Kat...

Acacea Thistletounge: She said that the living fountains could only be restored when the ruler of it had left the lands, that there was no hope while he lived...so why in the world would we come there, to that place of all places?

Acacea Thistletounge: There was no hope of changing it.

Kyle Pandorn: Pardon me...*smiles*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She looks up at Kyle with harder eyes than normal and then looks away again.* He struggled with the death around us and the freakish reunion, and told her that we were there to complete the Seal, to save the day as it were, imbue the gem for the ritual.

Acacea Thistletounge: She said that the Seal was broken... that it had never truly been meant to end the suffering in the Weep.

Acacea Thistletounge: That the distortion would eventually be restored; it was only temporary.

Acacea Thistletounge: She told her son that the only way was to claim it through the gift of the Lifegiver...his gift.

Acacea Thistletounge: His blood through her womb.

Acacea Thistletounge: She said the answer to that riddle was him, had always been him.

Acacea Thistletounge: But that for now, her womb fed the tree of death, forever infusing the hate and suffering of the place, and there was no chance of it happening... Unless.

Acacea Thistletounge: She told us that we must remove her body from the land, to free her, from the gift of it that had become its curse, healing her anew for more torment.

Acacea Thistletounge: She said that if the Soul Mother feared one thing right then, it was to face their judgement, that in these trials of death, she could not abide the Lifegiver's gift.

Acacea Thistletounge: Athus stuttered in horror at the idea and with a fading voice, his mother told him that she loved him, and then she was gone and the horror of the cross was in front of us once more.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She actually glances around at everyone as bow shivers over discordant strings again.* The drumming sounds approached and we stood frozen for a moment, uncertain.

Triba Gues: *She wiggles in her seat uncomfortably*

Acacea Thistletounge: And then we turned to the tree of death, with the bodies hung over it.

Acacea Thistletounge: Littered with them.

Acacea Thistletounge: It pulled our gazes up... and up... and at the top there was a body, close in vague shape to the vision we had seen.

Connor Garvill: *shivers involuntarily*

Acacea Thistletounge: When we looked back down, faces considerably paler, it was impossible not to notice how limbs of some bodies formed a sickening sort of stairway...and Athus had to make his way up.

Acacea Thistletounge: Once true-limbs had given way to that of women, he was forced to use them to pull himself up...until one of the "corpses" turned to him and shrieked in pain, sending him tumbling down again to the ground.

Reventage D'vinn: *she takes a hurried sip of her juice*

Shielle Eventide: *closes her eyes fully, seeking focus as she listens*

Acacea Thistletounge: He started back up and again was sent flying, but the Lord of the Skies caught him up in his arms and they flew towards the top, where Athus, still in shock, was confronted with what was left of his mother.

Freldo Jabutica: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: She screamed and flew at him, her blood feeding the tree as she clung to him with unnatural life, seeming to not want to give up her small claim to a mockery of life.

Triba Gues: *She gives an encouraging pat to Plen, mostly for herself to be distracted from the horrible images*

Acacea Thistletounge: Athus was sent stumbling backwards and raised his hands while a massive army of demons could be seen charging for the mountain, a burning light that seared through his mother and ended her suffering.

Plenarius Ashaley: *he startles a bit from his gaze and smiles slighty to return the encouragement to Triba*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She stops playing for a brief moment, and the sudden halt of the nerve-searing undertones seems more harmonious than perhaps a major chord would have been in that moment.*

Triba Gues: *She lets a deep relieved sigh*

Acacea Thistletounge: It turned to dust, free in the wind, and his mother was returned to the Cycle.

Gemme Sum Moregems: Hi I am Gem

Acacea Thistletounge: Those of us on the ground were already running for it--the demons wouldn't wait for us to "be done."

Gemme Sum Moregems: *looks around*
Kyle Pandorn: Shhh!!!!!
Shielle Eventide: *bites her lip hard*
Gemme Sum Moregems: *smirks and says softly* You rude

Acacea Thistletounge: In the Fort of Last Hope, we had, on a whim, purchased tents that had previously hidden us from notice with camoflauging magic... it seemed ludicrous to even think of them.

Kali: *glances back and smiles slighlty, nodding to the new comer then directing her eyes to the story going on, on the stage*

Acacea Thistletounge: But there was -no- chance of getting away from this army.

Acacea Thistletounge: So as Plenarius wrapped Athus up in his arms and flew to catch up with us, we dove into tents and I sort of vaguely wondered how if a demon might step on us, anyway.

Acacea Thistletounge: It seemed a rather undignified way to die, stepped on while holed up in a tent, but in that place I think we all knew that death was the nice option.

Akki: *hops up and sits on the barrel swinging her legs*

Gemme Sum Moregems: *says quietly to Jennara* Dat man has wings!

Acacea Thistletounge: Thankfully... and to that merchant's eternal favor... the tent blended into its surroundings, hiding us quietly from view as hundreds upon hundreds of demons blew in, restoring the guard of the place and the suffering of everyone there.

Acacea Thistletounge: We waited for hours, unable to leave the "sanctuary" of the tent while the gentle healer stared blankly after ending the mother he had dreamt of being reunited with.

Acacea Thistletounge: When the initial rage had been stemmed a bit, we creeped out of the tent, just ditching it there... and we left the Mount behind us.

Acacea Thistletounge: The land cried out to rid itself of its taint, to be restored to what it was, just as the people there shrieked to be ended from the unnatural life that held them there.

Acacea Thistletounge: *The creepy discordant notes rise from the fiddle more loudly, the notes going so far as to cause the literal pain that music can bring.*

Acacea Thistletounge: We left it, but they are still there.

Acacea Thistletounge: They still go on. We left it behind but I think most took some of it away, too.

Acacea Thistletounge: Xandrial is gone, when can the Mount of Sorrows be restored?

Acacea Thistletounge: I do not know, but it is a story for another time, because from there we had to move on and out of Xantril.

Shielle Eventide: *lets out a soft sigh*
Addison Scarlace: *applauds*
Kyle Pandorn: *claps*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She twitches slightly and actually drops the violin*

Freldo Jabutica: *smiles and claps*
Gemme Sum Moregems: Hooray *claps*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She waves a hand in irritation..*

Gemme Sum Moregems: Good show
Addison Scarlace: Thank you Acacea!
Triba Gues: She's not done...
Gemme Sum Moregems: *whisltes loudly*
Addison Scarlace: Oh.

Acacea Thistletounge: *Then lets out a heavy sigh.*

Connor Garvill: *snickers*
Addison Scarlace: *blushes*
Cole Norseman: *claps softly*
Triba Gues: ...

Acacea Thistletounge: We parted for a time. I do not know how it was for the others.

Acacea Thistletounge: I cannot guess their thoughts. But I could not sleep.

Acacea Thistletounge: It haunted me in my sleep and during the exhausted days.

Acacea Thistletounge: I woke up on the floor, having struggled away from the bed and in tears; I started drinking myself into unconsciousness just to hope that the night terrors would not come and steal my sleep away; sometimes they did anyway, only in the drunken coma I could not wake.

Acacea Thistletounge: By the time we all met for the final time, I was beyond tired.

Acacea Thistletounge: I wondered why I was even going; they didn't need me and the world could find someone else to save it.

Acacea Thistletounge: When we started discussing options and I realized that people were discussing how to get to the next focus location for the ritual, I was at first confused, and then angry...

Acacea Thistletounge: After all we had seen there, where his mother had told us that the ritual was not the means of ending the suffering, could not be.

Acacea Thistletounge: We ourselves had already suspected as much; it was only a confirmation.

Acacea Thistletounge: He had to reclaim it through his gift... not the ritual... I did not know what that meant, but I did know that I did -not- want to trot my tired arse all over mountains and islands and so forth when we were pressed for time, to do something that was only going to break again.

Acacea Thistletounge: We fought about it; I didn't know the proper method and stalked off, trying to make the bitter exhaustion go away, which it didn't. It never did.

Acacea Thistletounge: We had so much information we were drowning in it; I sniped at everyone, especially Athus.

Acacea Thistletounge: I said I would go along... but not after... he had asked for my help and I had gone to the Mount of Sorrows for him, to see everything that was there, and I felt it was all for nothing if we went down the other road.

Connor Garvill: **nods a bit, as if some things suddenly make sense*

Acacea Thistletounge: Everyone was tired.

Acacea Thistletounge: Frustrated and grating on each other.

Acacea Thistletounge: Athus even struggled for awhile just to ask guidance from his god...but eventually he was pointed to Willow's Weep. I should have been thrilled that we weren't going to the other places, but instead...

Acacea Thistletounge: Well frankly instead, I was just bloody twitchy that a nut hitting him and making some tears of blood was a sign, but not his mother's words, not mine, not Plen's.

Acacea Thistletounge: There wasn't anything that could make me happy, really; there wasn't a whole of happy available.

Acacea Thistletounge: I just wanted go home.

Plenarius Ashaley: *he exhales heavily, fluttering the flame of the candle in a chaotic dance*

Acacea Thistletounge: Crawl into bed.

Acacea Thistletounge: Not climb back out again.

Shielle Eventide: *bites her lip again*

Acacea Thistletounge: We went through the rift and back through Willow's Weep, now crawling with undead. The Harper went to the Thunder Peaks in case we needed the focus gem after all.

Acacea Thistletounge: The disease had taken most of the town already, and was sweeping across northern Dregar; stacks of bodies were burning and the whole place reeked of misery and despair.

Acacea Thistletounge: Plenarius tried to cleanse a well, and just had some zombie parts spit up at him in response. All in all it was not a good day for world saving.

Acacea Thistletounge: It was clear that the Seal was more than merely "fading" at this point.

Acacea Thistletounge: There were souls being spit out from what seemed like a full out rift into the Plane of the Lost, though to be perfectly honest a knothole would have looked like a rift to me.

Addison Scarlace: *squeezes Cole's hand*

Acacea Thistletounge: A single one nearly took all of us out, shrieking in pain as it did so... I do not know if it was lost or merely insane, but it makes me think that it was more like the Plane of the Damned.

Kyle Pandorn: *puts arm around Ferrit*

Acacea Thistletounge: We entered the crypt and it made nerves scream, little needles poking at and into the skin with nothing there. It was the third time I had entered since its ...change.

Acacea Thistletounge: The shroud of pain we sensed the first time was now more like a bloody anvil, with serrated wisps of broken magic hanging about the place.

Acacea Thistletounge: Another spirit waited for us there, only four of us and warded but it was Plenarius that managed to get it. Heh... well.

Cole Norseman: *grips Addy's hand reassuringly*

Acacea Thistletounge: We approached where the rift was, where energies tumbled around in wait to send another out at us.

Acacea Thistletounge: Alright...we were there... now what?

Addison Scarlace: *motions for Freldo to bring her something to drink*

Acacea Thistletounge: It would have been nice to have a detailed manual, but everyone knows things like that don't get read anyway, as we likely had one and hadn't realized it.

Freldo Jabutica: *nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: Plenarius said that the gift of Aeridin was nothing if not life, and so Athus hesitantly leaned down to the grate with its lights shining out ominously from it.

Freldo Jabutica: *smiles*
Kyle Pandorn: *holds Ferrit*

Acacea Thistletounge: He put his hands down and called his gift from the Lifegiver, a channel opening up as his hands faded ethereal from this world to another, shining with colors as energy coursed through him... and slowly began to slash at his arms, gaining in ferocity as it tasted his life.

Cole Norseman: *glances at Addy*

Acacea Thistletounge: He stepped back in shock and was healed, but then we thought... blood is life? Maybe it is meant to be seen through... and we watched him place his hands back down, bleeding out in front of us until neither I nor Plenarius could watch any longer.

Acacea Thistletounge: And Plen reached his side and healed him as he began to lose consciousness. The energy flowed through them both, infusing with Katia's grace along with that of the Lifegiver, and a tree formed on the seal.

Acacea Thistletounge: His healing, Her energies, flowed into it in health, in a pact of friendship or renewal of an alliance already present. I think we began to understand, a little, at that point.

Acacea Thistletounge: But there was much missing even as the disease seeped out of the town and we had no time... another soul was about to be churned out at us and our wards had long ago faded.

Acacea Thistletounge: Much seemed to be missing yet, and then Plenarius thought of Reventage, of the song that had been on the pages of the book we'd found the locations in.

Acacea Thistletounge: *She smiles a little.* No sooner spoken of than showing up, like an odd sort of welcome curse, the Harper appeared to ask what we had done to make the Harmony better for a moment.

Triba Gues: *She grins towards Rev*
Reventage D'vinn: *She smiles slightly at this point*

Acacea Thistletounge: We must have been a little out of it because we actually paused to answer before thinking "Hey! Better get out of here."

Acacea Thistletounge: We dragged ourselves out just as another spirit was spewed out behind us, and we just made a break for it to recuperate.

Acacea Thistletounge: We filled each other in on what we knew, forced some food down, warded ourselves, and then had to face the tomb for the last time.

Acacea Thistletounge: Again Athus opened the channel and again his life force was ripped from him hungrily, Plenarius keeping him constantly in balance with his healing; his wings even were glowing brightly while life was being channeled through them.

Acacea Thistletounge: Reventage began to play, and the whole room seemed to animate as if in some wizard's story, the shadows we'd glimpsed out of corners of eyes before now clearly spirits that started dancing to the song of Life and the Harmony as performed by the Harper and built with the others... linked.

Acacea Thistletounge: From very far away an energy formed and through my hands rewove the magic that had been so broken in the crypt, support offered and accepted by someone far more able than I...

Acacea Thistletounge: *She smiles a little at the floor.*

Plenarius Ashaley: *makes a psshhhing sound*

Acacea Thistletounge: At that!

Acacea Thistletounge: *She winks at Plen.*

Triba Gues: *She snickers*

Acacea Thistletounge: The whole place seemed to shake a little as the link extended to me, and of all things an eagle soared into the room from places unknown.

Acacea Thistletounge: Honestly at the time I thought the ceiling was bloody caving in on us and the giant bird had just come to fly into a window or something, but it was -perfect-... celestial.

Acacea Thistletounge: It stretched out its wings and a wind blew through, until lights exploded from the rift in divine colors united, and SHE shrieked. Howled, even.

Addison Scarlace: Ael!

Acacea Thistletounge: The seal was locked permanently, but as it happened, it ... well, it felt a bit like a mouse running up a too-tight pant leg, something bigger than what it was coming out of you know?

Ael Rynthien: *he smiles*

Acacea Thistletounge: Chubby Mother or something, but we had to jump back before she came through...and I suppose it's a little anticlimactic to say we faced down the Soul Mother and she just called us a bunch of whiners, so I'll say she came forth and evilly announced, "Your incessant whining wont get you far...but not all will be lost to your petty intrusions..."

Acacea Thistletounge: She looked around and said that she would stay -here- for awhile, and then she disappeared.

Triba Gues: *She grins*

Ael Rynthien: **nods, grinning*

AnnaLee McGregger: *looks up at Acacea with a weak smile*

Kyle Pandorn: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: Athus and Reventage tried to give chase on the ethereal plane... but they were trapped and awoke in... well.. *She lifts the corner of her mouth in an odd smirk.*

Cole Norseman: *perks a brow*
Ael Rynthien: **nods*

Acacea Thistletounge: In the tombs of a dwarf and a halfling. I think Reventage apologized a great deal for waking up next to Rurik, but it couldn't have been pleasant.

Cole Norseman: *smirks*

Acacea Thistletounge: Athus we had to rescue from Gotak's... and that thing was -made- for a dwarf apparently, as even after we had let him out, the entire strength of the group was necessary to even TRY to slam the lid shut again.

Vin Onyxshade: *Snickers and looks at Rev*

Acacea Thistletounge: You can imagine how awkward it was for the people involved...
Acacea Thistletounge: *She grins slightly.*

Triba Gues: Heh
Freldo Jabutica: *smiles*

Acacea Thistletounge: But it was hard to think too much of it... we had felt the Seal locking, felt the disease drain away and understood how it was affecting not only everyone around the place, but ourselves.

Kyle Pandorn: **grins*

Reventage D'vinn: *She just takes a slight sip and smirks back*
Ael Rynthien: **nods*
Ael Rynthien: **smiles to Addy*

Acacea Thistletounge: We'd just prevented the Soul Mother from reaching her hand out for the Cycle itself, and weakened her considerably... she lost her grip on things that we thought were gone forever, or they just slipped back home when the Seal was locked. *She grins a little again.*

Cole Norseman: *glances up at Addy, smiling, and puts a hand on hers*

Acacea Thistletounge: I thought I almost saw a figure, as a dwarf, vague. *She frowns a moment and then just laughs.* But the dead rose up again, friends returned with what they had lost, and everyone -everywhere- felt the shakeup.

Acacea Thistletounge: Felt things returning to them... it was a complete reverse on the despair, impossible to frown or feel sorrow for a time in the intensity of the moment.

Rayenoir: *slowly nods, recalling what called her away from her search*
Triba Gues: *She smiles*

Acacea Thistletounge: The five of us slowly made our way out of Willow's Weep, united in friendship and experience that had allowed us to succeed.

Shielle Eventide: *shakes her head, biting her lip hard*

Acacea Thistletounge: As before, a call had been made and was answered, showing where true allies lay.

Reventage D'vinn: *silently toasts to Acacea's words*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She smiles to Rev.*

Acacea Thistletounge: If you felt it that day, then you may remember the name of Athus Dephillie; but also remember his father and his mother, because they are what allowed him to make his way there.

Acacea Thistletounge: In more ways than one.

Plenarius Ashaley: **he looks on past Acacea into some vague distance with a bit of a smile and nod*

Acacea Thistletounge: *She smiles again at the floor.* As I said...there are things unknown still, and guesses made that were unmentioned.

Acacea Thistletounge: But...

Acacea Thistletounge: For the most part, that is the story in its entirety as we lived it. *She glances up and grins.* And Plenarius picked me up and flew me home in celebration.

Acacea Thistletounge: Well... flew me to the portal home.





Acacea Thistletounge: *She snickers.*
Triba Gues: *She laughs and claps merrily*
Cole Norseman: *grins*
Connor Garvill: *chuckles*
Plenarius Ashaley: *he grins* I told you a time would come
Freldo Jabutica: *claps*
Beli Tenker: *smiles*
Ael Rynthien: *grins*
Kali: *she smiles*
Rayenoir: *smiles a little*
AnnaLee McGregger: *smiles at Acacea and claps*
Addison Scarlace: *finally applauds*
Daeron Stormcloud: *smiles and suddenly realizes he had a glass fully filled with wine all this time just in front of him*
Connor Garvill: *claps quietly in appreciation*
Ferrit Pandorn: Thank you, Acacea, for the telling and the doing.
Cole Norseman: *leans back in his chair* All hail the long-winded Acacea, and a toast te stickin it te the Soul mother! *downs an ale*
Shielle Eventide: *sighs softly, peering into the fire*
Acacea Thistletounge: Har, just doing my job... yeah!
Plenarius Ashaley: *he gives a cheer*
Triba Gues: heh.. to stickin it then..
Rayenoir: *raises a bottle of something blue and purple, then takes a long gulp*
Reventage D'vinn: *again lifts the glass for the toast called*
Acacea Thistletounge: To chatty halflings and feet in the wrong ends of evil stepmothers!
Daeron Stormcloud: **raises his glass*
Acacea Thistletounge: *She coughs.*
Kali: *holds up her glass a bit*
Triba Gues: *She grins and raises some of her juice up*
Plenarius Ashaley: and friends!
Triba Gues: I'm so going to have grape nightmares.
Triba Gues: And friends!
Connor Garvill: *joins in the toast*
Kyle Pandorn: *raises glass to Acacea*
Acacea Thistletounge: Thank you!
Daeron Stormcloud: It is a good thing the story didn't end in Xantril. Well told and a warm ending.
Acacea Thistletounge: *She smiles to Daeron.*
Triba Gues: Thank you Windy, may true stories be heard always.

[Acacea]

Drakk Dawi - Brac'ar Fireface ECDQ

((Not really started except a few bits - may tell IC soon and simply put it here. I'm just reserving this space for the sake of the timeline, for the date it occurred. Awesome quest, cool story, kind of hush hush in a few bits, though.))

[Acacea]

Souls of a Lost Ancient - Sinthar's End - Campaign Finale

((Began a narrative on this ages ago that was considerably long, intended to swap perspectives from First and Second (Acacea and Triba) to cover both halves of the party, but never got past the introductions, which Acacea missed half of and thus are not in my log. Don't ask me why I started it in the present tense. It is difficult being properly descriptive with characters and places not your own - I don't stray from the logs or details not given to me. Ended up telling another one IC, still putting here for the sake of proper order of things. Reserved.))

Acacea.

I have deposited gold into your bank account so you can purchase some potions. There's a lot of activity in the Demon Mountains right now. On top of that, in the Demon tower there is a very bright orange/red/blue glow coming from the top floor. My Eyes see movement, thousands of troops; they hear mutterings, a Bloodwell is almost ready....

Buy some potions please, oh, and have a pie and a few drinks on me too. In fact... pack as many as you can... I mean that!

Her Blessings to you,

Plenarius Ashaley

------------------------------------------------

Acacea.

I hereby call upon your aid, and the aid of those that you might sway, to join in a direct assault on Sinthar Bloodstone's fortress in the Demon Mountains. 3 armies have marched from the Bloody Gate and Bloodstone himself is now striking out in a last desperate attempt for survival. Now is the time to defeat this sorry excuse for a human.

I have been summoned by King Ulgrid. Plans will be laid. Plans based on information and help that we have received from someone I dared not hope for. You will discover the truth of this and the reason for my summoning when we meet in Arnax. Head there immediately. I will arrive there as soon as possible with the fleet of Clan Ulgrid.

There is hope, Acacea. Spread the word to the strongest, and of those, only people you fully trust.

May the Great Gold grant you swift passage to Arabel and provide you with hope and the will to overcome this final battle. Have faith in him, yourself and your friends. Then we shall not fail.

Kobal Bluntaxe
Leader of the Runic Anvil

--------------------------------------------------

A young halfling is sent sprawling out onto the gloomy streets of Arnax, tripping on her mad dash out of a portal from Dregar. With a quick hop she is back on her feet, dusting herself off and nodding a goodbye to the blue-robed elf that had accompanied her, before dashing off to the Demon Hole Tavern. Weaving through the people already gathered in front of it, she makes her way to slump against a wall under the eaves of the building, taking shelter beside a flame-haired elven woman and tanned halfling with braids woven around her head underneath the hat perched atop it, the latter in the middle of naming each of the people standing.

"...An elf with a greatsword and the most scrolls in Layonara..."

Pale green eyes look to the speaker for a moment at that, and then the elven face under the blonde hair creases in a grin of acknowledgement, the greatsword resting over one shoulder.

"...Daeron Lapdancer Stormcloud... The man with the mastery of the blade..."

A human mage in crimson robes sighs at the first mention, murmuring to himself, "I saw that one coming..." as a burlier man across from him nods with a grin at the second. The one referred to as Daeron seems decidedly less impressed.

"The dwarf with the strong axe..." The speaker moves on from looking at the bearded dwarf puffing up a bit with pride, to grin at another human, draped in dark robes and standing slightly apart from the rest. "The black one..."

Some buzzing from others arises as a few discuss whether or not the tag "Rufus Skull-Licker Coldfinger" is apt for the wizard, and if any skulls have indeed been licked. The older halfling continues on with, "The crazy witch mage... Toran's cape crusader over there..."

A few lean on staves or bows while jokes about each are exchanged here and there, as the red-clad priestess leans down to the panting halfling to whisper, "Glad you could make it, Acacea."

The reply comes with a grin and a breezy “Took the road with the view! No sweat!”

“And of course, Acacea the Wind Spirit Thistletongue, Legendary Potion Tosser!”

From where she is sprawled out beneath the eaves of the building, the last to be announced reassures those nearest her that she has indeed brought the mini-bar, while a few comment on their envy of Kobal for getting to sail out from the Ulgrid's underground dock. Just as the sorcerer with the queer marks on his arms is commenting that he has done just that once, and the many-braided halfling offers that the elf wasn't missing much anyway, Ulgrid dwarves appear struggling from the docks in the oppressive rain to aid a heavily armored shield dwarf in the transportation in something near four times his own size in length... A great dragon skull, with the sockets of its eyes and nostrils glimmering with the shine of emeralds and rubies aglow with strange magics.

One of the Ulgrid fighters nods grimly as they set it down, and clasps an arm briefly with the dwarf not of their own. "The rest is up to you, Kobal. Do us proud."

"Thank ye lads," he responds as they begin to take their leave, and adds just afterwards, "Wait fer us."

"We shall hold the ship here for your return."

[Acacea]

Star of Ilsare - Reventage's Epic Conclusion

((Very cool quest hilarious in some points and terrifying in others with a very pretty ending and a scolding from a goddess... I don't think we fought a single hostile creature, but it was a rollercoaster ride all the same. Began narrative like a year ago, again never got even through the intro, though Acacea later told the tale of the First Harper a couple times. It is of course biased towards Acacea's perspective, as I can't speak as well for the angles of others. Again, reserved space for someday updating.))

The tree in front of the Aeridinite temple in North Point didn’t appear to notice the attire of the three companions gathered near it, but the flamboyant halfling sprawled under its drooping foliage seemed to think it should. Not everyone could pull off a not-quite-long-enough red sleeveless top with baggy forest-green shorts, after all, not to mention wearing such a striking blue scarf around the waist. One had to have both arms and calves nicely shaped, and the black for accents on the clothing helped, really, along with the proper head covering... In fact, the outfit was lucky to have found such an appropriate bard for the difficult task in modeling it.

“Firstly, thank you for coming.”

The young halfling blinked out of her reverie at the sound of the elven voice, just as her inner musings were beginning to wonder to themselves if it were too late in the day for a second breakfast.

“Right. Always ready to answer your call.” The dwarven wizard chuckled at his answer, which was greeted with a warm smile from the priestess in heart’s blood red.

“I do know I didn’t explain it to any decent degree when I invited you, and I appreciate you accepting that and joining me here.”

After squinting first one eye and then the other at the speaker, the colorful one grinned and said, “I thought there was free food.”

“That comes after.” As if sweetening a deal with a generous supplement, the elf with the emerald eyes added, “Perhaps even some wine...” before looking to the others with the corner of her mouth lifting in a small smile. “I suppose I should get to the point, shouldn’t I?”

As the dwarf’s strangely metallic voice questioned from under his helm the purpose of the gathering, an ancient looking human came doddering up behind them, hacking and wheezing as if he’d spent his entire life smoking enough Plains Exceptional to suffocate the capital. He managed to get out between coughs, “It’s a bloody crime...”

The others glanced over at the man, the bard cheekily replying with, “A crime to have a lung condition like that, sir!”

A few pairs of eyes were blinked as he coughed up at least three quarters of a lung in response, and the slender priestess raised a delicate eyebrow at his condition before suggesting that he get it checked out at the temple. The human merely leaned heavily on his staff for support, making frantic gestures as he gasped for breath. “Bloimey...drink...”

“Raspberry, elderberry, or milk?” came the prompt response from the halfling, followed by a pause and a hopeful, “Or whiskey?”

A choked, drawn out wheeze and some grabby gestures with the hand not clutching his staff was her only answer, and she glanced to the others. “He said whiskey, right?”

“He looks like the type,” answered the elf from a safe distance.

She rummaged around in her pack and started to pull it out, then reconsidered after hearing him choke again, offering him some juice instead. “Here! He's already coughing... whiskey makes me cough half fit to burst really, I'm pretty sure it'd do him in, you know?”

“Well I can't say I trust in your judgment when it comes to beverages, but I'll leave this one to you.”

The dwarf shook his head at the sight of the bard pondering while the old man was about to fall over. “Just give him some.”

She pushed it towards him again as he wobbled around, announcing more loudly, “Here!” until he took it with a panicked expression. He tossed it back urgently, draining the bottle, then sprayed it forward it a projectile raspberry cough that the nimble halfling had to move quickly out of the way of.

“Cripes...” he wheezed.

“Oh for the love of the gods, really!”

“Trying to poison me... well that figures...” he complained between coughs. “It does at that...” Without a hint of decency he lifted the bottom of his robes up to wipe all of the juice and spittle from his face, staggering easily as the elven priestess took him by the arm and gently dragged him to the temple of the Lifegiver. “Bloimey girl... I walked...all the way from the boat and all...” he mumbled, muffled under the sloppy swipes of fabric over his face before he finally dropped the hem of the garment, ending the unusual public display he didn’t seem to notice.

“I knew I should have given him some whiskey,” the 'poisoner’ muttered under her breath.

“Told you so.” The dwarf either ignored or didn’t hear her sigh at his comment and walked in after the odd pair, where the priestess was telling the human that they would all get him seated and Acacea would give him something with a bit of strength in it to drink.

[Acacea]

Weave Patterns - Eldárwen's Epic Conclusion

((Crazy quest, lot of fun - hard to challenge Eld with plot so it near gave me a heart attack to see her stricken with indecision there as the timer was tick tick ticking and just barely raced in time, heh heh. For a few reasons I think it is most likely that I will only write up the last session as it most heavily affects my character. Reserved.))

[Acacea]

A Penned Past/Magic is Thicker Than Blood - Connor's Epic

((Poor Dorg had a stop/start WLDQ that was picked up again and slightly redirected... I wanted to start from the beginning at some point (despite the bumpy detour), but for now I only have what I wrote for Acacea's CDT however long ago, from the visit to the Fairy Shee in the Forest of Fog to make the cure to Desolation's Spire. If nothing else, I would at least like to finish the fey section because it pertains to my character (and this is after all a CDT of a kind) and Kobal blushing at the fey and dancing with Acacea should certainly be noted. On the other hand, I want the memory mixing and the end-game to be written too...I guess I'm greedy!))

The Shee of the fabled fey of the deep mists was no longer in a good mood. Its queen had left in a beautiful temper for lack of immediate entertainment, and the whole of her chaotic realm reflected it. One of the beasts that guarded her flowery throne before the stream, with a body like that of a lion and a head like that of some great bird of prey, growled at the halfling as she grinned and playfully batted at its swinging tail. The former glimpses of many impish faces peering at her from the water were now less interested in her comings and goings.

From the bridge she frowned at the ripples as the others discussed the contents of the vial that countless others had prayed for while they had lived their years with each breath taken only by the grace of the dark elves that held so many lives in their hands. It was for that they had come; for decades others had held the ingredients for the impossible cure to Desolation's Spire, the poison that had been the gift of Ca'duz to his people, which was rare among the poisons of the realms in that as a divine gift, it had no antidote. No slow deaths or necrosis awaited the affected, however - its only outward sign was the mark of the spider.

But from below...miles below... they could decide who lived or died. There was no struggle, no hope to fight an illness - one afflicted would simply die, and entire towns had been poisoned with their wells. Most recently, Melizaphei, well known and loved Caller of Lucinda - often called the Mad Sparkler - had been brutally run through with a blade coated with it, which was odd in itself. Why bother with the poison if she was meant to die, if they only sought the Tome she carried?

She glanced up when hearing Connor walking to search for the treeman-that-was-a-healer, and waved to the other sphinx as she crossed, herself. "Can you tell your friend I said sorry for playing with his tail? It was irresistible!"

She scampered to catch up and fell in beside Jennara as they both looked around at the trees towering above them, ending somewhere in a misty veil. "Is he the only treeman?" asked Jennara in her quiet voice, of the healer who had surprised those meeting him by being...well, a tree. Those who remained unable to leave in the Shee, as he had, tended to conform to what they truly were, the queen had said.

Acacea squinted to the surrounding trees and in reply scratched her head and commented, "I don't know..I have a hard time telling them apart..." She poked one's trunk just to make sure as the others approached the one identified as the healer, nodding to herself.

The healer's branches rustled as if stretching, and its "hmmmmmmm?" was a low drone that seemed to last a fe