BOOK 1 : The Whisperings
****PROLOGUE****
k, here im gona paste in the prequel stuff about how we arrived - will also need a summary of what happend during the event, volunteer please ?
A large woman appears from the doorway of a wooden building nestled in the woodland.
A strange place for a building most people would think - situated on a path through a forest which has many tales of intrigue and horror told and retold about it.
Yet still the building indures and a weary traveller can find a nights bed and some good food and ale there...for a price
The woman, dressed in strange attire sweeps the porch then pauses and glances up and down the path. Her brow furrows as she peers into the trees around. Seeming to see something she shakes her head to herself and mutters under her breath, "an ill wind indeed.."
She looks behind her "Wench!...Wench!! Get some water heating for tea...I think we can expect some guests sometime soon....."
As the woman continued screaming at her wench, far across the island, in the violent surf of a treacherous stretch of shoreline, someone fought tenaciously with the forces of nature for at least one more lungfull of saltwater-tainted air. He could not tell how long he had been struggling to keep at the surface after his ship dashed itself against the jagged reefs nearby, but it seemed like an age. Still, his tenacity paid off as he was eventually washed up on a pebble strewn beach. He lay on his back for a while, scarce believing that he still lived and simply admiring the beauty of the stars that were out in force. As he was about to give in to the demands of of his ordeal and fall into a sleep that could well have been fatal had he succumed- a bright flame streaked across the dark horizon and stirred him to action. "NO!" he said to himself shaking away the last vestiges of a tiredness born of cold and fatigue. "I wanted a godsdamned new start and here it flamin` well is!" he surveyed the barren shore and started to identify the pieces of wreckage and flotsom, thankfully seeing his own chest bobbing in the breakers "i`ve been through worse" he consoled himself "now first things first - fire and shelter - I`m spankin` freezin"
With his mind resolved and muttering curses to the gods that wrecked his transport, as well as oaths to those that saved him, he set to finding some kindling and firewood that may, eventually provide warmth and light enough to stave off the cold on this bitter night
The figure stood about the womans height, with a slender build, and the darkest skin one may ever have seen. Black hair partially obscured his face but his eyes were still visible, a rich hazel staring from behind his bangs. Dressed entirely in black leather and cloth he blended nearly seamlessly into the gloom, the only signifier of his presence were several brass eyelets and steel studs that adorned his leather, and the white ties that bound it tight to his body.
"Sometime soon indeed dear lady." Came a softly spoken voice. The woman spun around to be confronted by the figure, stepping out of the shadows.
Before the lady can reply a jaunty, but not very good, whistling is heard and a figure dressed in a dashing cloak emerges from the darkness along the path. He approaches the pair and it can be seen that the cloak is the only dashing thing about him. He nods to the fella in leather and bows to the lady saying. "I really need a room for a few nights. Please accept this as part payment!" He reaches into his cloak and pulls out a sack of vegetables which he balances on the ground. He reaches in again and pulls out two large plucked birds that he balances upon the vegetables. Finally he presses some coin in the ladies hand and continues, "I am expecting a couple of guests! Got to hurry! I'll be back later!" He half bows as he turns and strides off hoping his cloak swished impressively.
Elsewhere in the forest a ranger best described as getting on in life, wipes clean his bowl that held green soup and washes it down with nettle tea. "Rain coming on!" he says to an owl watching him impassively. "Better move on! Things are afoot I believe!" The owl says nothing; just watching as the ranger rinses his bowl and mug, puts them in his bag. Picks up his gear and vanishes silently into the dark.
Along another path not too far removed from places already noted there is a 'thump!' noise followed shtraight away by a curse. A voice then mutters, "Grief! It has got that dark already! Better do something or I will hit every low branch twixt hear and the Inn! By the power of the elements of fire and air let light guide my way!" An eirie green glow lights about 5 feet of the path in front of the person. "Better than nothing!" he mutters and continues on.
**above is pre-event
maybe event synopsis here as a commentry?
**below is post event - not sure how to do this, shall i just include it all and let the conersations summerise it?
Stepping out of the tree, on to the well kept lawn in front of The Mooses' Head, Oak looks around cautiously before slowly walking up the steps to the inn's main door.
He wipes his boots on the mat and lets himself in to the main room.
"Hello" he says to the tavern's owner, in his quiet way " My appologies for the hasty departure, but I needed to be elsewhere for a time. Is there anyone here who may relate what happened after I travelled away?"
The Tavern Keeper remains with her back to the dryad, continuing with her task at hand.
"So, you returned have you?" she says "well, you missed a fair few goings on thats for sure and many of them that was here have left now, one way or t'other but, there's still some here that may wish to share the tale with you."
She looks around at the dryad.
" Mead?" she asks as she dissapeared into a side room, "per'aps some mead would be good"
Hoping some of those who have not yet left the area will stop in to the inn Oak takes a seat at the table, dealing out some cards.
"yep, mead would be good thanks"
said Cyrus cheerfully as he shut the door behind him, stamping mud off his boots.
"ahh, your back" as he noticed the Dryad at the far end of the hall "nice of you to run off like that just when we could of used you most......... well you certainly did miss some strange goings on"
The Tavern Keeper returns to the room with two goblets of mead.
"hmph, still around then silage? We certainly could of done with more, especially if they didnt put women with child infront of them when danger approached"
She thrusts a goblet into his hand with a disgusted look then dissapears once more through a door.
Looking up from the cards Oak smiles at Cyrus and pulls out a chair.
"Had it been a viable option I would have remained.
That I did not was a necessity.
Would you elaborate, tell the tale of what I missed?"
"moose"
muttered Cyrus under his breath
From behind the door the woman shouts to Cyrus, " So, your hungry again? Ill bring your food in a bit!"
From outside can be heard, "Look You! Clear off to a pond or something! I ain't got crushweed, I don't want crushweed and I ain't gonna get you any s*****g crushweed. Now I don't want to have to kill you so just GO AWAY!"
The door opens and a dripping Greenfella stomps in. He nods to the other two and mutters, "Why can't the fish around 'ere stay in the water like any where else?"
He wanders over to the kitchen, pokes his head in and calls out, "Mead, food and cheerfull serving wench! In that order please!" Ducking the flying pan he comes over to the table and sits down saying, "You two still here? So what happened then? Did you get the egg back? I gather you stopped these rifts opening or is that because you did not get the egg back? And what of you Cyrus? Are you still turning into seaweed?
"questions, questions, questions. Always questions.Well In answer..... yes, many things, yes, we think so, I hope not. I hope this answers your questions dear Greenfella?"
Taking the chair the Dryad offered he hollered
"hurry with that mead woman and ale to boot, looks like I got a tale to tell and Im parched. So my good Dryad tell me first your name as I do not yet know it, then tell me the last event you recall so as I do not tell a tale you already know......"
Cyrus, I am called Oak by my friends, though my full name is The Majesty of Oaks as they reach towards the Heavens and touch upon the Clouds.
We left after the Egg was retrieved."
The tavern keeper bustles back into the room with a gibket of mead which she hands to Greenfella.
Looking at Cyrus she grins, "I fear your Kelpie encounter has addled your brains more than usual, fo you are holding your mead, cushweed for brains obviously impairs your thoughts even more than they already were!" "ha!"
"Food will be coming shortly, once its stopped squirming...."
She dissapears again but as she goes those that listen carefully will hear her mutter...
"Of course there is a way I could help with your cushweed brain problem silage but are you deserving enough I wonder..."
"well it has been more than 2 moons" Cyrus thought aloud "maybe that goblins potions merely slowed the process"
"what was that ms Moose - I didnt quite catch your mutterings?"
"anyways where was I?....Ah yes Oak something or other, seems a needlessly long if poetic name, but heh who am I to pass judgement?"
Cyrus readjusted his armour and sipped the mead he found in his hand
"righty O, so after the Egg was retrieved, all joined Paris up by the Mercenery camp for a rousing campfire and evening of song. then back to the Tavern for what passes as an evening meal around these parts. it was then that some extremely strange goings on began, now I may not of caught all of it so some may need to add there own details - but as I understand it, this was how it came to pass.
Upon finishing the evening meal the tavern was assailed by Some form of Undead, Werewolves and more of those lovely smelling sea creatures that found me so tasty. Also (his voice lowered to a conspirital whisper) as soon as the Tavern keep left the building, creatures were finding thier way inside, most disturbing I can assure you, anyways somewhere in the ruckas a small warband calling themselves the "black mantles" appeared with urgent news for Paris, and shortly after some more of the Rift demons attacked, they drew most of the party away from the tavern and one managed to sneak inside and grab the Egg, I fought as best I could but he addled me with magic and spirited the Egg away before I could retaliate. It was then that things really turned strange, `Death - The destroyer of Worlds` appeared to simply observe it seemed yet he did manage to mess with the fates and meddle with peoples lives - shortly thereafter his boss `Zarick` i recall his name as, appeared apparently to keep an eye on the meddling of his minion and the fate of this realm which I can only assume was tied to the fortunes of the Egg.
Anyways it was decided that on the Sunday we must cunjure up our own rift and cross realms, facing Morden (a force of great evil) for ownership of the Egg. Needless to say this was frought with danger but we succeeded with only minor injuries. So with the Egg back in our safekeeping it was decided that the Healer with the fiery hair, Talia i recall her name as, should be its Guardian - and that The Orc (diamondhardbogies) should escort her back to his tribe so that they may guard both and keep them safe."
Cyrus took a deep breath and finished his mead and the half full pitcher of Ale on the table
"Now im sure I didnt miss anything out -so .... any questions?"
"A not just a few questions, but some observations I fear:
You say that Morden was faced, reputedly a being with vast amounts of power at his disposal, and yet he was bested with only a few minor injuries being suffered?
That would seem worryingly easy.
Do you know anything of the nature of these others who arrived: This 'Destroyer of Worlds' and his lord? Were they just normal people who claimed greatness but showed none, or were they something else?
At one point a strange green person appeared before us in what was described as a holy place: Do you know anything of him?
How did the group manage to open the rift that was used to travel to where Morden had the Egg?
Did the crystals that could be used to close the rifts travel with Talia and her protector?
Did anyone ever discover why the Egg was simply abandoned and laying on the ground in the middle of a forest?
Or why the dead were accusing us of possessing it, while it was actually found in a place where they were?
You said that the sea people attacked again, yet I thought some measure of peace had been brokered?
Too much does not make sense."
"a valid point Oak - It could be that it was merely a henchman or Lieutenant of Morden, I was too far away guarding the Portal to hear the initial conversation.
All I can assume of the `other two` is that they are some form of Diety, maybe the Moose can explain more, you must remember that I arrived in these lands rather suddenly only the day before we met.
All I can say about the green man is guess work and that is that he is some kind of Nature/Guardian Diety on these lands.
The Portal was made and sealed with the crystals and an incantation from Paris (although it took an Innocent to place and retrieve them) what happened to the crystals I cannot say.
As to the discovery of the Egg I cannot say for as you know I was not there, I have merely repeated the tale as it was told me.
The Sea people, now there is a perplexing issue, I have no answer, maybe they were waiting for me to turn, or maybe they wanted to reclaim the corpse of thier kinsman I dragged inside for the alchemists to use.
I agree that much does not make sense, but I do not expect it to. I fear we were caught up in matters beyond our comprehension and used as pawns. For fair or foul, none can yet tell. But I am sure all will be revealed soon enough. Now if you will excuse me, I seek booze and board...... MOOOOSE wheres my dinner???"
I can add some light upon the questions. The Green Man is Great Spirit of Nature. Along with Herne, the Horned Man and The Lady he looks after the lands. He is likely more concerned with natural forces than with the races that roam these lands. Since we rangers are the law in the wylde we frquently come upon tales of the entities. I have met the Green man before and, to my sorrow, the Lady.
The rifts still open but word of the crystals and how to close them is spreading among the isles and the islanders, we are a hardy lot, are getting quite adept at shutting them down. The creatures that are coming through are likely searching for the egg or mayhap seeking those who took it for purposes of vengence.
The sea people, some call them sea elves though I think of them as sea goblins more, live under the waves in small family groups. They do not seem to have a central leader so peace brokered with one lot would not apply to them all. I think they use crushweed as we use alcohol. Silage here just happened to swim through some and, inadvertantly, collected some on his way.
I cannot say why the egg was abandoned. Maybe the undead had put it down while they tried to get rid of you lot. Maybe they had just found it before you came after them. I do not know.
*ahem*
"I would just like to point out that I am not named after the filthy run off of Human waste -- my nAME IS CYRUS !! (*mumble* gods damned usless Moose telling people I`m called Silage *grumble*sulk*) however do allow me to thank you good fellow for you added snippets of wisdom"
"Listen closely friend!" Says Greenfella leaning towards Cyrus, "All the while you call the good lady of this inn "Moose" you must be prepared to be called Silage. Remember you are the newcomer here! None have taken offence to your name calling so do not be so ready to take offence at ours." He then turns towards the Dryad and asks, "Are there any more questions concerning you?"
they hear a scratching sound at the door
The tavern keeper comes out with two steaming bowls of Stew. One each she puts infront of Greenfella and Silage. From under her arm she produces a blue bottle which she hands to Greenfella along with a goblet.
"Eat and drink your fill but excuse me for a while"
Chucking a scowl at Silage she heads to the back room retrieves a large bundle wrapped in cloth and goes to the door.
Edging it open carefully she looks outside then quickly dissapears through it and shuts the door behind her.
