Elfquest #22

[GM Mad]

Elfquest #22

The critical moment has been reached! The elves no longer have any choice but to dare going into Moorkroft’s lair in the Elfin Palace. The means to acquire the remaining medallions lies there.

The area is scouted out from overhead on the invisible barge. The only details that can be seen are that there is a ring of landing platforms around the edge of the island. These remind you of the griffon stables encountered earlier. No doubt that these are the royal griffon stables.

The area is similar to the earlier stables, but larger and more wide open. The barge can easily be flown into there. There are several stables on the landing platform. Stairs can be seen going down to the lower levels, however the tree growth intensifies again and it’s hard to determine what is down there. Landing on the stables seems to be the only normal way to enter the palace.

Several armored figures are noted on each platform. They wear elegant suits of elfin plate mail armor. None move leading you to believe that they are animated constructs as Jewel suggested.


Sherwood decides on a course of action. He, Kylie, and Lilia will be dropped off over the middle of the island. Using Fly spells, they will move down through the tree to reach the center. Everyone else will enter by way of the griffon stables. They will have to get passed the constructs and then move deeper into the island.

The Fly spells are cast and the three go over the side. Talen pilots the barge now and holds position for a few moments so make sure everything is okay.

The top of the tree is reached and the three move limbs aside to get lower. However, they immediately run into a problem. Just underneath the upper most layer of the tree is a thick, thorny growth that goes for as far as the eye can see. Razor sharp thorns, as nearly as long as your finger, project from the growth! It’s impossible to pass through this growth unharmed without the use of further magic.

Sherwood directs everyone back to the barge.

“I should have realized that method was too easy to enter into the palace. You would need to Polymorph or use Wraithform to penetrate those thorns. There’s no guarantee that there are not other defenses in place to counter those spells that would leave you trapped inside those thorns. The elves that built the palace were very intelligent. I think it’s best we all use the griffon stables to enter the palace.”

Sherwood directs Talon to pilot the barge to one of the landing platforms away from the city.

“The only question now,” Sherwood wonders aloud, “is do we go in as one large group or split up into two?”


Now what?

[Lilia]

Lilia:

Lilia casts Fly on herself, says her goodbyes to Lady, and then steps off the barge. The trees are thick and lush, as is typical in an elfin forest. But there is a surprise underneath them! A growth filled with razor sharp thorns is discovered!

“I should have realized that method was too easy to enter into the palace. You would need to Polymorph or use Wraithform to penetrate those thorns. There’s no guarantee that there are not other defenses in place to counter those spells that would leave you trapped inside those thorns. The elves that built the palace were very intelligent. I think it’s best we all use the griffon stables to enter the palace.”

“Yes, that does seem to be our only course of action now.”

Lilia certainly does not want to be trapped inside those thorns should her protective spells fail! The barge is directed to one of the landing platforms away from the city across the river.

“The only question now,” Sherwood wonders aloud, “is do we go in as one large group or split up into two?”

“One group,” Lilia simply answers. “Since we have flight, Kylie and I could cast Invisibility on ourselves and scout ahead, while your presence will boast the main groups fighting ability. We can find the way to the rope bridge that takes us deeper into the palace while you deal with those constructs.”

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

Sherwood’s idea on going in from the top is defeated by some kind of plant growth.

“I should have realized that method was too easy to enter into the palace. You would need to Polymorph or use Wraithform to penetrate those thorns. There’s no guarantee that there are not other defenses in place to counter those spells that would leave you trapped inside those thorns. The elves that built the palace were very intelligent. I think it’s best we all use the griffon stables to enter the palace.”

“It makes sense that any magical defenses built into the palace would be those of the natural plant variety. We elves are in tune with nature and such a thing is far more practical to us than any stone wall could be.”

Valena does feel a bit better about their chances now that everyone is together again.

“The only question now,” Sherwood wonders aloud, “is do we go in as one large group or split up into two?”

“One group,” Lilia simply answers. “Since we have flight, Kylie and I could cast Invisibility on ourselves and scout ahead, while your presence will boast the main groups fighting ability. We can find the way to the rope bridge that takes us deeper into the palace while you deal with those constructs.”

“And don’t forget the cooshe’s. There are built to hunt and battle. Their senses can detect things we cannot.”

A look of inspiration comes to Valena’s face.

“In fact, I’ll ask them to see if they can find our missing centaur. They should be able to smell him long before we locate him.”


Once the battle begins, Valena will linger behind using the barge as a weapons platform for her shortbow. She’ll fire arrows at the enemy, only changing tactics if her shafts seem unable to harm the armored figures.

[Talen]

Talen:

Talen is surprised when the flyers return and that their path has been blocked.

“It makes sense that any magical defenses built into the palace would be those of the natural plant variety. We elves are in tune with nature and such a thing is far more practical to us than any stone wall could be.”

“I guess that makes sense.”

While he doesn’t say it, Talen is happy to have them back with the main group once more. As directed, Talen pilots the barge to one of the landing areas.

“How do you want me to do this, Uncle? Move in closer so that everyone can leap over the side, or just land nearby?”

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Casting her spell and rising off the barge, Kylie gives a quick wave to Talen before following Sherwood and Lilia down toward the island. Descending, it is not long before they run into a layer of the palace's defenses: a wall of thorny vines.

“I should have realized that method was too easy to enter into the palace. You would need to Polymorph or use Wraithform to penetrate those thorns. There’s no guarantee that there are not other defenses in place to counter those spells that would leave you trapped inside those thorns. The elves that built the palace were very intelligent. I think it’s best we all use the griffon stables to enter the palace.”

Kylie is amazed that Sherwood seems to give up so quickly. "What about those amazing swords of yours, Sherwood? Surely they could carve a sizable hole through this in no time. They are just plants after all - right? Then we can just come back through the hole if we need to leave.

"Or what about flying around it? Are we sure it goes all the way to the ground on all sides?

"As for other defenses, we're going to run into them no matter how we enter. I'm not looking for guarantees here; I mean, there's no guarantee any of us are going to survive this fight against Moorkroft. We're going to have to take some risks to beat him."
_________________________________________________________
A bit of a digression here. I realize that as GM you know what's going on better than Kylie does, but it seems odd that they wouldn't at least try to get past the barrier.

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

Flight is cast and Sherwood and the girls try to penetrate the thick treetops only to run into a thorny growth. After a moment’s consideration, Sherwood decides that it is best to go back and enter via the griffon stables.

Kylie is amazed that Sherwood seems to give up so quickly. "What about those amazing swords of yours, Sherwood? Surely they could carve a sizable hole through this in no time. They are just plants after all - right? Then we can just come back through the hole if we need to leave.”

“It’s not that simple, Kylie” Sherwood easily answers. “The problem is that I recognize this growth for what it is. I’ve seen it before. It’s the product of a high-level priest spell called Wall of Thorns. Those thorns can tear the flesh from your bones. Furthermore, the growth itself is highly resistant to being cut. From what I’ve been told, it takes over half an hour to hack your way through a Wall of Thorns. By that time, our presence here could have been compromised. And we have no way of knowing just how thick this growth is.”

“It’s also resistant to normal fire, meaning magical fire could burn it, but then we’d set the trees on fire in the process and that would defeat the purpose.”

Or what about flying around it? Are we sure it goes all the way to the ground on all sides?”

“All possibilities, but there is an even greater concern here. I doubt this growth just appeared here. That means high-powered magic was used to make it permanent. Remember, the elves are highly skilled when it comes to magic. It they had the foresight to protect the palace with permanent Walls of Thorns, then we have to believe that they took into account those spells that could circumvent it. Blind movement with a teleport can be potentially fatal. A Dimension Door spell might work, but I didn’t have the foresight to memorize one. Likewise there might be something down deeper in the thorns that prevents or negates passage such as with Wraithform or by polymorphing. Something that negates the magic and causes the trespasser to revert while in the thorns.”

"As for other defenses, we're going to run into them no matter how we enter. I'm not looking for guarantees here; I mean, there's no guarantee any of us are going to survive this fight against Moorkroft. We're going to have to take some risks to beat him."

“My point is that the elves who conceived these defenses had not only the time to consider all the possible ways to get in the palace, but had the ability to negate them as well. While I am sure that there are other defenses to contend with if we use the griffon stables, you have to remember that is the way people coming to the palace use to reach it, so those things can be circumvented. Here, we cannot be sure.”

“Now, given all of that, if you have an idea on how to get past this barrier in a timely fashion, then I’m all ears. Otherwise, we should take the other path.”

OOC:

A bit of a digression here. I realize that as GM you know what's going on better than Kylie does, but it seems odd that they wouldn't at least try to get past the barrier.

Sherwood has the knack of not being completely forthcoming with his thoughts and deductions. He tends to state his conclusions, not the thought process he uses to reach them as shown above. Sherwood can and does make mistakes, so questioning his actions is perfectly acceptable and encouraged. (And the same goes for any other character I might portray. Each has their strengths and their weaknesses and none are infallible.)

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Kylie listens to Sherwood's answers to her questions. As usual, he seems to have all the answers. Hardly seems like it's worth bothering to think at all.

"Nope. I'm all out of ideas. It's just frustrating as it seems like sneakiness was our best weapon against Moorkroft, but our elven kin have taken that away from us. By time we fight our way past all the guardians, he will certainly be aware of our presence and be well prepared to deal with us."

They return to the main group.

“One group,” Lilia simply answers. “Since we have flight, Kylie and I could cast Invisibility on ourselves and scout ahead, while your presence will boast the main groups fighting ability. We can find the way to the rope bridge that takes us deeper into the palace while you deal with those constructs.”

Kylie nods at the suggestion from Lilia. At least they can be of some use; perhaps even find a way past the worst of the defenders.

“In fact, I’ll ask them to see if they can find our missing centaur. They should be able to smell him long before we locate him.”

"We may want to leave that until we've found and dealt with Moorkroft. If he finds out we're after the centaur, he may just kill him out of spite."

[Nariya]

Nariya:

An attempt is made for the group to split up and try to use magic to sneak inside, but soon everyone returns. It seems the elves who built this place thought of everything.

“Now, given all of that, if you have an idea on how to get past this barrier in a timely fashion, then I’m all ears. Otherwise, we should take the other path.”

"I'm all for getting started," Nariya says. "The longer we linger the more we risk being found."

Unless some change happens, Nariya gets ready to move out armed with one of her spears. She will keep alert for danger as well as keep an eye on the cooshees to see if they react to anything that she might miss.

[Lia]

Lia

Lia readies her sword in her right hand and moves to the edge of the barge waiting for it to make contact with the ground.

“We need move and do it now. Now is not the time for debate, but for action.”

She will be ready to move forward and introduce herself with steel in hand.

[Laucian]

Laucian


Knocking an arrow to his bow, Laucian awaits the landing, but it never comes as the flyers come back within moments.

Laucian remains quiet as he has nothing to add. He will be ready to cover the fighters with his bow.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The way down to the Elfin Palace through the trees is blocked by a thorny growth that looks similar to that of a Wall of Thorns. Sherwood decides to go in by way of the griffon stables, since that is the way visitors to the palace used. After a short discussion, the others agree and Talon moves the barge once more.

The barge nears the griffon stable. The area is wide open, unlike the concealed stable you found earlier. There is plenty of room to maneuver the barge. Kylie and Lilia cast Invisibility on themselves and then fly off to scout. The rest of the group prepares to engage the suits of armor that stand guard. There are five of them in total.

Talon lowers the barge enough so that Nariya, Lia, Sherwood, and the cooshee’s can safely leap off. Laucian and Valena remain behind to supply support with their bows. Laucian drills two shots into one of the armored suits, ripping holes in it with the arrows passage. Valena launches three shafts and each strikes the same suit. The armored suit wobbles and then goes down as the cooshee’s swarm over it.

Those on the ground rush onward. Nariya stabs another of the suits that the cooshee’s dragged down. Lia and Sherwood’s swords make short work of the prone guardians. The battle is decidedly one-sided, as the cooshee’s attack as a pack, drag their enemy down and allow the others to finish it off while prone on the ground. In a matter of minutes, the area is secured.

The main platform primarily serves as the landing and stabling area for griffons. A stair leads down to the lower levels of the arrival platform. Down there is where riding gear is stored and maintained. There are quarters for the griffon riders and general living areas. Mysteriously, there are no other exits from this area! There are no rope bridges as were expected! In some areas you can see through the trees and spot the familiar growth of thorns as discovered above. There seems to be no way to move deeper into the palace from here!

The rangers will note that the wood here is very old and that in places of heavy traffic a worn path can be noted to the trained eye. On the landing platform there is a worn path that leads up to the side of a tree and then stops! It seems to be a normal elfin tree to anyone examining it. Likewise, one such path leading up to a tree and a seeming dead end is located on each level of the arrival platform.

Now what?

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

The group attacks the armored figures. Valena and Laucian fire their bows, their arrows punching holes right through the armor. As expected, there is no blood as they are only animated constructs. Thanks to the cooshees and their skills at taking down attackers, the battle is short and decisive.

“I’m glad they are on our side,” Valena notes. “I’d love to hunt orcs when them sometime!”

There doesn’t seem to be any more danger. The rest of the griffon stables are examined, but surprisingly there doesn’t seem to be any exit. Valena notices something, as do most of the other trackers in the group.

“This stable is very old,” Valena notes. “The wood that has seem more steps upon it is more worn, creating a type of trail. Strangely enough, one trail leads right up to the trunk of the tree itself!”

Valena examines the tree in that area searching for somewhat to get past it as the trail suggests.

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

"Nope. I'm all out of ideas. It's just frustrating, as it seems like sneakiness was our best weapon against Moorkroft, but our elven kin have taken that away from us. By time we fight our way past all the guardians, he will certainly be aware of our presence and be well prepared to deal with us."

“I agree it is frustrating. But you have to remember, the elves were trying to keep invaders out, not their own kind. I admit that I’m a bit out of my comfort zone here. The way elves use magic and the natural world to create defenses is unfamiliar to me. Give me a stone castle to get inside any day.”

“As for Moorkroft,” Sherwood starts to say, but then suddenly stops. He looks back and forth between Kylie and Lilia for a moment. “What I’m about to say does not go beyond us. There is no need to make the others worry.”

“If Moorkroft is as powerful as we’ve been led to believe, then he already knows we’re here and has most likely known from the beginning. The only reason we’ve had such an easy time collecting the medallions is because he’s allowed us to. Think about it, in all these hundreds of years he’s only gotten his hands on few medallions? No, I think he grabbed a couple and has been content to wait until someone came to collect the others, including those that only an elf could get. He knew that when someone had most of the medallions, that they would have to come here. That they would have to bring them to him. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But unfortunately, we have no other choice but to come here and try and beat him at his own game.”


The combat with the armored figures is short and one sided.

“At least something has gone as planned,” Sherwood notes.

A quick search reveals that there is no way off this platform! There are no rope bridges and just past the trees are more of those thorns!

“I did not see this coming,” Sherwood admits. “There must be a way to get past these trees. Track just don’t go up to dead ends for no reason.”

[Laucian]

Laucian

There doesn’t seem to be any more danger. The rest of the griffon stables are examined, but surprisingly there doesn’t seem to be any exit. Valena notices something, as do most of the other trackers in the group.

“This stable is very old,” Valena notes. “The wood that has seem more steps upon it is more worn, creating a type of trail. Strangely enough, one trail leads right up to the trunk of the tree itself!”

“I did not see this coming,” Sherwood admits. “There must be a way to get past these trees. Track just don’t go up to dead ends for no reason.”

Laucian looks upon the tracks as they lead to the trees. For several long moments he stares at them wondering, then with Valena’s words he recalls something from his training.

“It is because you are human my friend.” meaning no disrespect to Sherwood. “Among our faith there are spells in which we elves can disguise ourselves as trees if necessary, furthermore if we recall our training Valena, there are also spells in which allow transportation between two trees, A Plant door.” He says simply, “There are others, as well Transport via plant, is another but it is beyond me.”

“The only question remains, What is the trigger? It could be an item, could be our Bloodline or merely a command word. Are there any markings of elvish?” he asks curiously as Valena inspects the tree.

[Kylie]

Kylie:

“I agree it is frustrating. But you have to remember, the elves were trying to keep invaders out, not their own kind. I admit that I’m a bit out of my comfort zone here. The way elves use magic and the natural world to create defenses is unfamiliar to me. Give me a stone castle to get inside any day.”

“As for Moorkroft,” Sherwood starts to say, but then suddenly stops. He looks back and forth between Kylie and Lilia for a moment. “What I’m about to say does not go beyond us. There is no need to make the others worry.”

“If Moorkroft is as powerful as we’ve been led to believe, then he already knows we’re here and has most likely known from the beginning. The only reason we’ve had such an easy time collecting the medallions is because he’s allowed us to. Think about it, in all these hundreds of years he’s only gotten his hands on few medallions? No, I think he grabbed a couple and has been content to wait until someone came to collect the others, including those that only an elf could get. He knew that when someone had most of the medallions, that they would have to come here. That they would have to bring them to him. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But unfortunately, we have no other choice but to come here and try and beat him at his own game.”

Kylie nods when Sherwood pauses, then waits as he continues. "Actually, that thought had occurred to me. A frightening possibility, and one that portends a terrible battle. I'm not confident that we'll all live to see tomorrow." The thought that she might not live to see her mother when they are this close brings Kylie nearly to tears.

---

Everyone but Kylie appears eager for the looming fight. And dive into it they do. She and Lilia cast their spells and fly away while the others engage a group of animated armor suits.

The first thing Kylie notes is the lack of rope bridges or other means of moving onward from this tree. Perhaps tracking backward will help.

"Lilia, I'm going to go look for paths leading inward. You coming?"

Kylie flies toward the center of the island looking for some indication of where paths come through the wall of thorns to allow access from the outer trees.

"You see any way in, Lilia?" she asks, hoping that her invisible friend is nearby.

[Nariya]

Nariya:

Those on the ground rush onward. Nariya stabs another of the suits that the cooshee’s dragged down. Lia and Sherwood’s swords make short work of the prone guardians. The battle is decidedly one-sided, as the cooshee’s attack as a pack, drag their enemy down and allow the others to finish it off while prone on the ground. In a matter of minutes, the area is secured.

Nariya smiles as she watches the cooshees drag down the armored guardians quickly. She punches one with her spear and it seems to move no more. Could this be so easy? she thinks worriedly.

There doesn't seem to be any way out of the stables however. Everyone starts talking and Nariya listens to Valena, Sherwood and Laucian's words. The last thing Laucian says has her moving up to the trees as well.

“The only question remains, What is the trigger? It could be an item, could be our Bloodline or merely a command word. Are there any markings of elvish?” he asks curiously as Valena inspects the tree.

Nariya will look and see if there is anything she can recognize, either on the trees or the path or nearby. Maybe a marking, or even representations of the medallions themselves. Something else comes to her as she's looking. "What about the cooshees?" she asks. "Can they sense or see something we can't? Maybe the way is blocked even to us but maybe not to them."

[Lia]

Lia

Moving forward with the others, Lia watches as the cooshees drag their foes down. For a moment she watches with amazement as the pack swarms the construct.

Regathering herself she runs up her sword in hand twists and drives it into the chest of the armor. ‘What a waste.’ She thinks to herself as she sees the artwork of the armor before her.

There doesn't seem to be any way out of the stables however. Everyone starts talking and Nariya listens to Valena, Sherwood and Laucian's words. The last thing Laucian says has her moving up to the trees as well.

“The only question remains, What is the trigger? It could be an item, could be our Bloodline or merely a command word. Are there any markings of elvish?” he asks curiously as Valena inspects the tree.


Hearing Laucian and Valena speak, Lia begins inspecting the trees, running her hand over the bark while applying a little bit of pressure.

[Lilia]

Lilia:

“If Moorkroft is as powerful as we’ve been led to believe, then he already knows we’re here and has most likely known from the beginning. The only reason we’ve had such an easy time collecting the medallions is because he’s allowed us to. Think about it, in all these hundreds of years he’s only gotten his hands on few medallions? No, I think he grabbed a couple and has been content to wait until someone came to collect the others, including those that only an elf could get. He knew that when someone had most of the medallions, that they would have to come here. That they would have to bring them to him. It’s the only thing that makes sense. But unfortunately, we have no other choice but to come here and try and beat him at his own game.”

“I had already assumed as much,” Lilia quietly answers. “Such thoughts are the curse of the intelligence enhancement the Crown of Stars gives me.”

Kylie nods when Sherwood pauses, then waits as he continues. "Actually, that thought had occurred to me. A frightening possibility, and one that portends a terrible battle. I'm not confident that we'll all live to see tomorrow." The thought that she might not live to see her mother when they are this close brings Kylie nearly to tears.

“But other thoughts did come to mind,” Lilia continues seeing Kylie’s sullen state. “The Father of All Elves is wise and knowledgeable. He would not have chosen us if he didn’t foresee that we could succeed. No loving father would send his children to a senseless death. We will succeed. I refuse to consider any other possibility.”


The way through the trees is blocked, so we return to rejoin the others. Kylie and I cast Invisibility on ourselves to go explore while the others contend with the guardians. They are easily defeated.

"Lilia, I'm going to go look for paths leading inward. You coming?"

“I will follow.”

Kylie flies toward the center of the island looking for some indication of where paths come through the wall of thorns to allow access from the outer trees.

"You see any way in, Lilia?" she asks, hoping that her invisible friend is nearby.

“No, I don’t see anything. Let us rejoin the others.”


Returning to the others, Lilia and Kylie hear about the worn trails leading up into the trees. Just how to take these paths is the question.

“It is because you are human my friend.” meaning no disrespect to Sherwood. “Among our faith there are spells in which we elves can disguise ourselves as trees if necessary, furthermore if we recall our training Valena, there are also spells in which allow transportation between two trees, A Plant door.” He says simply, “There are others, as well Transport via plant, is another but it is beyond me.”

“The only question remains, What is the trigger? It could be an item, could be our Bloodline or merely a command word. Are there any markings of elvish?” he asks curiously as Valena inspects the tree.

“If this is the way deeper into the palace, then logically we should be looking for an item to trigger the portal. I doubt the elfin palace is open to any and all elves, thus being an elf should not be the key. It should be an item that the guards could carry to escort guests deeper into the palace, at least to my way of thinking. We should look around to see if we can find anything that fits that description.”

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

“It is because you are human my friend.” meaning no disrespect to Sherwood. “Among our faith there are spells in which we elves can disguise ourselves as trees if necessary, furthermore if we recall our training Valena, there are also spells in which allow transportation between two trees, A Plant door.” He says simply, “There are others, as well Transport via plant, is another but it is beyond me.”

“That’s right,” Valena agrees. “I forgot about our training with those kinds of spells. It all makes sense. A permanent version of those kind of spells must be in place here. The palace does not cover the entire island, but rather there are sections isolated from each other. From a defensive point of view, that makes a great deal of sense”

“The only question remains, what is the trigger? It could be an item, could be our Bloodline or merely a command word. Are there any markings of elvish?” he asks curiously as Valena inspects the tree.

“I’ll see if I can find anything,” Valena says as she closely examines the tree.

Nariya will look and see if there is anything she can recognize, either on the trees or the path or nearby. Maybe a marking, or even representations of the medallions themselves. Something else comes to her as she's looking. "What about the cooshees?" she asks. "Can they sense or see something we can't? Maybe the way is blocked even to us but maybe not to them."

“That’s a good idea, Nariya. I’ll ask them if they can sense something we cannot.”

[GM Mad]

Small Update:

The griffon stable has been cleared, but now there doesn’t seem to be anyway to move deeper into the palace. There are no rope bridges connecting this stable to any other areas. (The only rope bridges that were spotted before were the ones that connect the two stables to the mainland across from the city on the shore.)

However, the wood has been worn down with the passage of many feet. These lead the rangers up to the trees themselves in several areas of the stable. It is suspected that the ancient elves used magic that allows transportation by way of trees to link up the palace areas.

Laucian mentions that there might be a trigger of some kind in use, while Lilia reasons that it must be an item or token. Bloodline does not seem to be a trigger as Valena is a full blooded elf and the portal remains closed to her.

The trees around the suspected portals are examined closely. There are no markings upon the wood, no depressions where something could fit, or anything out of the ordinary.

Nariya suggests that the cooshee’s might be able to sense something the elves cannot. Valena bends down to speak to the hounds, but they don’t sense anything beyond what you can detect. They cannot pass through the tree either.

Now what?

[Kylie]

Kylie:

“No, I don’t see anything. Let us rejoin the others.”

After looking around a bit, Kylie has to agree. There is no obvious way in.

Together, the two mages fly back to rejoin their friends in the tree. There they discover that the others have had no better luck finding a way in.

“If this is the way deeper into the palace, then logically we should be looking for an item to trigger the portal. I doubt the elfin palace is open to any and all elves, thus being an elf should not be the key. It should be an item that the guards could carry to escort guests deeper into the palace, at least to my way of thinking. We should look around to see if we can find anything that fits that description.”

Some of the others search the area around where the path vanishes against the trunk of the tree. Meanwhile, Valena asks the cooshees to help search.

"Perhaps the trigger is something that is worn. Perhaps some of us should search whatever quarters there may be here in the tree." So saying, Kylie moves off in search of any kind of living quarters or supply areas in search of anything that might conceivably act as a trigger for a magical gate.

[Laucian]

Laucian

Laucian begins to look around wondering just how to get in through the trees, then something comes to mind, and his gaze passes to the lifeless armor. "I wonder." he says quietly as he moves to the armor, He will take a look at the armor and see if anything maybe out of place.

As he does so Laucian begins to think, Moorkroft more then likely entered by force or by magic, Seeing how he is of the latter... spells would seem the logical of the two, unless it is spoken or shown? Looking back at the walkway, he says, "One needs to be shown the doorway." and then looks down at the tracks.

(figure Lau's turn is up but Ill post this anyway.)

If nothing is found, Laucian will continue to look down at the tracks as they lead to the tree, right before he makes contact with the tree he will close his eyes and step forward, envisioning a tree of the same make.

[Nariya]

Nariya:

Nariya suggests that the cooshee’s might be able to sense something the elves cannot. Valena bends down to speak to the hounds, but they don’t sense anything beyond what you can detect. They cannot pass through the tree either.

Having no luck with their companions either, Nariya has run out of ideas. "Maybe we're trying too hard," she says. "maybe it's something simple but we think it has to be something difficult." Unfortunately she has no idea what that 'simple' thing might be.

A few of the others do have some ideas, so Nariya will linger to see if those work. If not, she will start looking around at other things, like the trees and see if there is anything unusual in the branches or leaves, or if the wind does or doesn't blow a certain way through them (if there even is a wind).

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

The elves continue to search for a way to enter the Elfin Palace. It is suspected that the elves isolated each section of the palace and used the trees for transport from area to area. Kylie, Talon, and some of the others go off in search for the trigger to open the portal in the living quarters below.

Laucian experiments with the tree portal some more while Nariya keeps watch. The Pathfinder doesn’t note anything unusual about these branches or leaves. There is a soft, pleasant breeze. Laucian examines the armor and finds it to have been high quality elfin plate mail, now rented with holes. Nothing seems out of place and there are no extra decorations in it.

Finding nothing there, Laucian walks up to the tree and says.

"One needs to be shown the doorway."

And nothing happens. Next he walks up to the believed portal, stopping short of walking into the tree. He closes his eyes, takes a step forward, and walks into the very solid tree.


On the level down below, Kylie finds something of interest in one of the gear chests. It is a small wooden pendant carved into the shape of a leaf. It’s about two inches long. Kylie rushes back to the others and once within ten feet of the portal, a section of the tree turns hazy and no longer seems to be solid. Quick experimentation will show that you can pass through the haze. You cannot see through the portal, so what’s on its other side remains a mystery.


Now what?

[Kylie]

Kylie:

Digging around in a chest, Kylie spots a wooden leaf-shaped pendant and lets out a whoop. It's almost too obvious! Digging a little more, she checks to see if there are any more in the chest, collecting them up if so before racing back to the others.

"I think I found it!" she calls out as she enters the room at the path to the trunk. Sure enough, as she draws closer, a section of the tree becomes hazy, almost as if beckoning them within.

"We should try to find as many of these as we can, in case we get separated."

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

Kylie nods when Sherwood pauses, then waits as he continues. "Actually, that thought had occurred to me. A frightening possibility, and one that portends a terrible battle. I'm not confident that we'll all live to see tomorrow." The thought that she might not live to see her mother when they are this close brings Kylie nearly to tears.

“But other thoughts did come to mind,” Lilia continues seeing Kylie’s sullen state. “The Father of All Elves is wise and knowledgeable. He would not have chosen us if he didn’t foresee that we could succeed. No loving father would send his children to a senseless death. We will succeed. I refuse to consider any other possibility.”

Sherwood is about to say something when Lilia speaks up. What she says he does fine mildly surprising. The elf maiden has grown quite a bit since she first arrived in Pyris.

“There is wisdom to Lilia’s words, Kylie. Sometimes we just have to have faith that things will work out.”

“It is because you are human my friend.” meaning no disrespect to Sherwood. “Among our faith there are spells in which we elves can disguise ourselves as trees if necessary, furthermore if we recall our training Valena, there are also spells in which allow transportation between two trees, A Plant door.” He says simply, “There are others, as well Transport via plant, is another but it is beyond me.”

“Ah, clerical magic,” Sherwood notes. “Not something that I know much about.”

“The only question remains, what is the trigger? It could be an item, could be our Bloodline or merely a command word. Are there any markings of elvish?” he asks curiously as Valena inspects the tree.

“If this is the way deeper into the palace, then logically we should be looking for an item to trigger the portal. I doubt the elfin palace is open to any and all elves, thus being an elf should not be the key. It should be an item that the guards could carry to escort guests deeper into the palace, at least to my way of thinking. We should look around to see if we could find anything that fits that description.”

“I’d say that it’s either an item or a command word, but I would go for an item. Command words have the habit of being overheard, thus negating their defensive value. Let’s explore the quarters down below and see if we can find anything.”


After searching for a time, Sherwood hears Kylie call out.

"I think I found it!" she calls out as she enters the room at the path to the trunk. Sure enough, as she draws closer, a section of the tree becomes hazy, almost as if beckoning them within.

“Good job!”

"We should try to find as many of these as we can, in case we get separated."

“A fine idea. In the meantime we should guard these portals while rest of us search. I don’t want anything to come through and catch us unaware.”

[Lilia]

Lilia:


After a time, Kylie finds a pendant that seems to activate the portals.

"I think I found it!" she calls out as she enters the room at the path to the trunk. Sure enough, as she draws closer, a section of the tree becomes hazy, almost as if beckoning them within.

“Very good,” Lilia says still invisible.

"We should try to find as many of these as we can, in case we get separated."

“A fine idea. In the meantime we should guard these portals while rest of us search. I don’t want anything to come through and catch us unaware.”

“I’ll keep watch. I’ll hover overhead invisibly.”

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

Nariya suggests that the cooshee’s might be able to sense something the elves cannot. Valena bends down to speak to the hounds, but they don’t sense anything beyond what you can detect. They cannot pass through the tree either.

“Sorry,” Valena announces apologetically. “They know as much as we do.”

While searching with some of the cooshee’s, Valena hears.

"I think I found it!" she calls out as she enters the room at the path to the trunk. Sure enough, as she draws closer, a section of the tree becomes hazy, almost as if beckoning them within.

Making her way back to the others, Valena sees the open portal. She experimentally runs her hand through the haze to see if it’s really there.

“That’s amazing!”

"We should try to find as many of these as we can, in case we get separated."

“A fine idea. In the meantime we should guard these portals while rest of us search. I don’t want anything to come through and catch us unaware.”

“I’ll ask the cooshee’s to split up and guard each of the portals. If something comes through they’ll bark a warning.”

[Talen]

Talen:

The elves continue to search for a way to enter the Elfin Palace. It is suspected that the elves isolated each section of the palace and used the trees for transport from area to area. Kylie, Talen, and some of the others go off in search for the trigger to open the portal in the living quarters below.

At last something comes along that Talen is able to help with.

“I used to be pretty good and finding hidden things,” Talen announces. “I’ll see what I can find down below.”

Alas, Kylie finds something first. Talen is close by and comes to see what she found.

“That must be it! I’ll keep looking down here for any more of those things.”

[Kylie]

Kylie:

“But other thoughts did come to mind,” Lilia continues seeing Kylie’s sullen state. “The Father of All Elves is wise and knowledgeable. He would not have chosen us if he didn’t foresee that we could succeed. No loving father would send his children to a senseless death. We will succeed. I refuse to consider any other possibility.”

"You may be right that we will succeed, but that doesn't mean that all of us will survive the doing. If Moorkroft were easy to beat, it would have already been done. And in any fight, against even the weakest foe, there exists the risk of tragedy.

“There is wisdom to Lilia’s words, Kylie. Sometimes we just have to have faith that things will work out.”

"Kylie sighs. "Perhaps, uncle. At the same time, it is naive to believe that there is no risk in a venture such as this. We have been lead to believe that Moorkroft is a powerful sorceror, and to underestimate him or become too confident would be tantamount to suicide."

“I used to be pretty good and finding hidden things,” Talen announces. “I’ll see what I can find down below.”

"Good luck, Talen. Hopefully, one of us will find something that will do the trick."

Kylie finds a leaf pendant and returns to the bole of the tree where the others are. Sherwood and Lilia congratulate her on her success as she nears the trunk, which activates the portal.

With Sherwood's encouragement, Talen and Valena agree to keep searching for more of the pendants, while Lilia continues to keep watch invisibly. Kylie continues the search as well, now that she knows exactly what to look for.

[GM Mad]

Post Continued:

A wooden pendant has been discovered that seems to activate the tree portals. A portion of the tree turns hazy and you can pass through it. But instead of moving on, the group decides to search for more pendants first.

In the living areas, Lia finds two more pendants and Talen another, making a total of four in all. Any further searching turns up nothing.

A sudden bark from the top level of the griffon stables draws everyone back there. The cooshee’s have caught the scent of something, but nothing can be seen. The elfin dogs seem to be barking at something above the ground and out of their reach. Those who where watching the portal noted that the outline of something passed through the haze, but again nothing could be seen.

As you try to figure out what is going on, a sudden burst of wind buffets Sherwood, sending him flying backwards across the wooden deck. His Stoneskin protects him from harm, but it is clear that someone or thing just attacked him!


Now what?

[Laucian]

Laucian

Finding nothing there, Laucian walks up to the tree and says.
Quote:
"One needs to be shown the doorway."

And nothing happens. Next he walks up to the believed portal, stopping short of walking into the tree. He closes his eyes, takes a step forward, and walks into the very solid tree.

Rubbing his nose, Laucian feels embarrassed as he looks up and down the tree. The others begin moving off in the search of other pendants to allow passage. Knocking an arrow to his bow Laucian stands guard his eyes slowly scanning about him.

A sudden bark from the top level of the griffon stables draws everyone back there. The cooshee’s have caught the scent of something, but nothing can be seen. The elfin dogs seem to be barking at something above the ground and out of their reach. Those who where watching the portal noted that the outline of something passed through the haze, but again nothing could be seen.

As you try to figure out what is going on, a sudden burst of wind buffets Sherwood, sending him flying backwards across the wooden deck. His Stoneskin protects him from harm, but it is clear that someone or thing just attacked him!

Laucian looks towards Sherwood as he is thrown to the wooden deck. Casting his gaze to where the coochee’s are looking and barking, he sees nothing but the sky above. Squinting Laucian wonders what is among them and how to go about to see whomever it is.

Having no line of sight, Laucian has an Idea, he begins to cast Summon Insects, in the area of the Cooshees barking. Using the swarm to outline and unmask the hidden thing.

[Lia]

Lia

Seeing Kylie bring forth the pendant, Lia looks at it in estonishment, moving forward with Talen and Kylie, lia begins looking for others in the common living areas. Finding a two Lia holds them loosely in her hand.

“ I found some.” She says triumphantly as she moves to the others. Her eyes going wide as Sherwood goes down hard to the deck. “Uncle!”

She will take out her crossbow and begin looking to the cooshees perhaps giving a clue where it is.

[Nariya]

Nariya:

It seems as though a way through has been found, but suddenly the cooshees start barking frantically. Unable to see exactly what it is they sense, Nariya takes a defensive position with her spear ready. Suddenly Sherwood is knocked from his feet, but appears unharmed.

Having no other option at that moment, Nariya waits until the enemy is revealed. Then she will either throw or use her spear in melee if she gets a target.

[Kylie]

Kylie:

The brother-sister duo of Talen and Lia recover more of the pendants. "Good j--" Kylie starts to say when suddenly Sherwood is attacked!

A quick look around - coordinated on the barking cooshees - verifies that the attacker is invisible or otherwise hidden from sight. Fortunately, Kylie has a spell that should help. Quickly, she casts Detect Invisibility, hoping that this will reveal the culprit. Should it do so, she intends to follow it up with a brace of Magic Missiles.

[Sherwood]

Sherwood:

"Kylie sighs. "Perhaps uncle. At the same time, it is naive to believe that there is no risk in a venture such as this. We have been lead to believe that Moorkroft is a powerful sorcerer, and to underestimate him or become too confident would be tantamount to suicide."

“Risk is always a part of the lives we lead, Kylie. You have to go into this expecting that. I guess the point I’m trying to make is that you can’t go into something expecting to lose or be defeated. Because if you do that, then you are already defeated. Think positively, keep your wits about you and hope for the best. We’ve come this far without any serious harm, so luck has been on our side thus far. I see no reason to be believe that it will suddenly abandon us now.”


More pendants are found, giving us four in total. Sherwood is about to say something when the cooshee’s begin barking. They must sense something that the rest of us can’t see! Then a gust of wind strikes Sherwood, sending him sprawling to the deck. Picking himself back up, Sherwood sees the others moving to attack what the cooshee’s are sensing.

“Invisible Stalker would be my guess,” Sherwood calls out. “A creature summoned from the Plane of Elemental Air!”

Grabbing his swords, Sherwood defends himself and will attack the creature if he can get a lock on it.

[Valena Feador]

Valena:

Valena stands guard while the others search for the pendants that seem to control the tree portals. Her bow is drawn and she is expecting trouble, but not the kind of trouble that shows up! An invisible force, man or beast, attacks Sherwood. The Cooshee’s sense it first, but it’s above ground and out of their reach.

Valena keeps her bow ready and nocked and will shoot at the first viable target that she can spot.

[Talen]

Talen:

"Good luck, Talen. Hopefully, one of us will find something that will do the trick."

“Thanks!” Talen responds with a grin. “We’re getting close, nothing is going to stop us now!”

Talen is so proud of himself when he finds another pendant, only to be out done by his sister who finds two!

“Show off!”, Talen says good-naturedly.

Making his way back to the top of the stable, Talen sees something send Sherwood flying and hears the cooshee’s barking. The others are searching for a target to strike. Talen draws his bastard sword and joins the search for the enemy.

[GM Mad]

Post Closed