Elementree: Logging in the Hours (The Keep)
ou rouse yourself from a long afternoon of studying as your room gets colder and colder, the walls not quite able to ward off the autumn evening chill. Sighing, you light your fireplace, and then wander out to grab dinner and a nice hot mug of spiced apple cider from the dining hall while your room warms back up.You're so preoccupied with thinking about a hearty, warm meal, that you don't notice anything amiss until you nearly bump into another magi. There's a larger crowd than usual gathered in the Keep's main hall, and everyone seems to be just a little more agitated than usual, the conversations around you just a little bit too hushed, people's movements just a little bit too tense.
You spot an acquaintance in one corner and hurry on over to her. "What's going on?" You ask.
She glances nervously at the entrance. "You know that big tree in the courtyard? Looks like it's centuries older than all the others?" You nod, so she continues, "It moved overnight. It's standing right next to the door now. There isn't even dirt there!"
"Ah," you say, because there isn't much of a response you can give that feels adequate.
Just then, there's a shift among everyone, as people turn and then scramble to clear the center of the room. You turn as well to see what's happening, and ah - Thane is coming through.
Thane nods at the magi assembled as he passes, and makes no effort to disperse the curious crowd as he exits the Keep and addresses the massive tree standing next to the door. He utters something that sounds almost like words - it takes you a moment to realize that it's probably a name - and then adds, "What ails you, friend?"
The tree stirs, some of its branches slowly lifting. It's truly venerable, its trunk so large that five magi would have trouble chaining their arms around it. "Thaaaane," it rumbles, drawn out and deep. "Trouble, in the forest." All its words are slow and and lumbering, and so it takes you a moment to parse its words.
There's a collective murmur among the assembled magi. First a moving tree, and now it's relaying ominous news. Things are officially passing from weird to actively worrisome.
Thane holds up a hand and the magi all quiet. "Please," he says to those assembled. "Go about your business for now. I will be conversing with my friend further and will make an announcement when there is more information." Thane then proceeds to sit down by the tree in a meditative pose, while the tree lowers slightly, the two apparently communing non-verbally.
Well. You're clearly not going to learn anything more for the time being, so you finally make your way over to the dining hall to grab your belated dinner. The kitchen worker who hands you your plate is clearly distracted, though, and your food is cold. At your grimace, she sighs.
"Some idiot thought it would be a good trick to douse the fire in all of our stoves," she explains. "All the wood's soaked through. The kitchen magi are busy salvaging everything that was cooking when this happened, so most of the food's gone cold and no one's had a chance to try re-lighting anything yet."
You think for a moment. "I'll bet a phoenix could get things going again in no time. I can bring one here, if you'd like?"
"Oh, could you? That would be a great help," the kitchen worker replies. You nod and set your plate aside, heading out to summon a phoenix.
You don't think you should go back to the kitchens until you've brought a phoenix with you to help.
It takes you a hot second, but you manage to convince one of your phoenixes to come with you back to the dining hall. As predicted, it barely takes the bird any effort - one quick glance at the wood piles, and the water immediately steams off. Then a sharp chirp, and immediately all the stoves blaze to life, crackling merrily. The kitchen staff cheer and then immediately get back to work, rushing about madly to get things back on track, but one of them takes the time to heat up your plate and also slips you a few delicate pastries for good measure.
Elementree: Rooting for You (The Keep)
With dinner thus resolved, you head back to the great hall to see if Thane has made any progress with his tree friend yet. You arrive just in time - even more magi are gathered than before, and Thane is clearly about to address them."My fellow magi," Thane calls, and what little chatter there was dies down immediately. "As you've probably gathered by now, that was no ordinary tree, but what some of you might know as an oracle tree." A murmur passes through the crowd. You haven't heard of them before, but you see a teacher who you know is particularly well versed in esoteric earth magic nod slightly.
"My friend has chosen to reveal itself because it has had a premonition of some great peril to the oracle trees that reside deep within Silva Forest. We must help them, but it is a dangerous place to venture unprepared. If you wish to help investigate, you must have a few direwolf companions to help guide you through the forest. Two should be a good number. You will also want to bring a fabari, to help ease communication."
You frown, wondering what could be a threat to such venerable trees as the one before you, especially if they all can sense danger. Somehow, you don't think the occasional foolhardy woodcutter would pose much of a threat to them. You go to get your direwolf companions so you can find out. You also decide to bring a naricasa phoenix with you, just in case.
You approach Thane to learn more about where to go, but he frowns at you when you approach. "You don't look prepared for a trip into Silva Forest," he says. "Come back when you’re ready."
You gather up your creatures and find Thane to learn more about where you will be headed. The Archmage nods approvingly at the wolves following at your heel as you approach. Traveling in a large group through Silva forest never goes well, and so Thane is sending out magi as they trickle in with their companions.
"Follow the path into the heart of the forest," Thane instructs you, once he's verified your wolves are capable and that you've brought a fabari. "It will always be the most hostile-looking path, but your wolves will be able to show you the way." He holds out a small piece of bark for the direwolves to sniff. They oblige, and then nudge you, eager to get on the move, so you thank Thane for the directions and head out.
Elementree: Leaf Now and Never Come Back (Silva Forest)
You head into the forest. As warned, it's treacherous going, and a few times when the path in the forest forks, your wolves pick an option you couldn't even see for all the underbrush. You're so preoccupied with trying not to trip, that it takes you a moment to realize you're not alone.Several yards up ahead on the path (if it can even be called a path), you spot several hooded figures bearing torches, the flames burning too bright and hot to not be magical in nature. They seem to be surrounding a large tree, and as you watch, they wave the torches threateningly. You realize immediately this is no ordinary tree, as its branches shift of their own accord. You realize that it's trembling - the tree is quaking with fear!
You abandon any attempt to be careful and run forward, hoping to get there in time to help the tree without tripping and stabbing yourself on a sharp root in the process. You don't have any particular plan, but you're still several feet away when the hooded people thrust their torches at the tree.
You fling your hands up into casting position, stumbling in your haste to form an extinguishing spell, but then your naricasa phoenix bursts into song, singing with all its might. The torches bounce harmlessly off the tree, the flames refusing to catch no matter how they prod at the bark. The hooded figures turn, staring at you in surprise. You take the opportunity this presents and finish your half-cast spell, directing it to douse their torches.
The people are clearly spellcasters as well, and they fight you - a magical battle of wills ensues, as a few resist your extinguishing spell. The torches gutter and dim, then crackle back to life, then flicker weakly, as you fight for control. Several of them are either caught by surprise or don't want to bother resisting. Their torches go dark, and they throw curses at you instead. Your attempt to parry is feeble, preoccupied as you are on putting out the remaining torches to get the tree out of danger. Fortunately, your little naricasa phoenix's song protects you as well, and their spells simply bounce off you harmlessly.
Sweat drips down your back and your face as you maintain your concentration on your spell and parry what curses you can, afraid that otherwise your naricasa phoenix will be overwhelmed. You're openly panting with the effort, and you're pretty sure the hostile mages you're fighting are just waiting for you to exhaust yourself. While they were preoccupied with you, though, your direwolves were free to do as they pleased, and now they strike, quickly and ruthlessly taking down about half of the mages. The remaining ones, now in disarray, flee in terror. You douse the remaining fires, gasping in relief as you finish exerting yourself. Your naricasa phoenix stops singing and promptly goes to sleep, clearly also exhausted.
You wish you could also collapse for a nice long nap right then and there, but you have a job to do. You approach the tree slowly, trying to catch your breath. Your wolves pad back towards you, and you pet them in thanks before using your fabari to talk to the tree.
"Are you hurt?" You mentally ask. You're sure there are more polite ways to greet an oracle tree, but you didn't even know they existed until very recently, and these are special circumstances.
"I am fine, thanks to you, magi," the tree replies, through the fabari. Even using the telepathic link, its words are deep and slow.
"Who were those people?" You ask. "Will they be back?"
The tree rotates its trunk slowly, first in one direction, then another, repeatedly. You suddenly realize it's doing its equivalent of shaking its head. "Enemies," it simply answers. Your fabari's telepathic link must relay how unhelpful you find that statement, because after a moment it adds, "Hate non-humans. Fear magi. Some such outcasts hide in shadows in the forest. Caught me alone."
"There are usually more of you around, then?" You ask.
This time, you recognize the tree's motions as an attempt to nod. "Protect each other. Keep sent you?"
"Yes, there's an oracle tree there who sensed you were in danger."
The tree bends a branch to touch its trunk, much like a person might adopt a thinking pose. "Will you take me to the Keep? Thank other tree."
You smile. "Of course!" Then it occurs to you how long it'll take you to go back while accompanied by such a slow, lumbering companion, and sigh, preparing yourself to take several days to get back instead of just a few hours. Well, perhaps you'll make a new friend along the way.