| The World of Teréth End - Chronicles - Othic |
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"Too often days swiftly pass / Weeping in the evening grass / There just is not enough time / Forthings you dreamt you'd do / The hours still drift by. "Too many years, too high a cost / Too many lessons earned but lost / And still you complain all the time / Cursing the days before you / Lamentng the days gone by. "And finally laying in your bed / Staring skyward, nearly dead / It all floods back one last time, / The chances that you left behind / But alas there's little left to do / ... but cry." Dirimoran song  |
Woad's Embrace Travel through the Northwood finds hungry owlers, a waterfall, and freedom conscious Shulut. Crossing the Telabra Plain the company is showed the way to Eldarkar. Finding the small town, Kaithah's body is finally laid to rest in the ancient manner. After traveling west along road through the Northwoods the group made camp. Mishara returned with some rabbits for the night's dinner and everyone ate well. That night Mishara was alerted to the sounds of slow flapping, circling above. Soon, large winged shapes could be seen against the night's green glow. Waking the others, Alcerra blessed the group, Tressta hid, Jak readied himself for combat, and Dammon, uncharacteristically lucid after his waking, wove a spell that summoned winds from all around him and then with a howl sent a column of wind, twigs, and turning leaves skyward buffeting one of the circling creatures out of sight. Something large crashed into the westerly forest as Mishara's arrows leapt skyward skewering another of the beasts. With horrible shrieks the remaining two dove toward the camp. One of the owlers fell upon the Elve crushing him instantly to the ground. Another crashed into the planted weapons of Alerra and Jak and died screaming on their points. Wrenching his spear from the dead owler Jak turned and stabbed at the creature atop Mishara. Soon it It too was dead. Prying the creatures body off Mishara the two gathered themselves before chasing after another that had crashed into the distant woods passing Dammon's exhausted form on their way. They returned shortly with news that the third was dead. On the next day the group traveled the road to a fork, where they chose to dismount and lead their horses down to the shoreline road. Descending the treacherous path, they continued along the seldom used road until they reached a stone bridge at the base of an impressive waterfall which erupted over the southern cliff-face. Supersititious to the last, they cautiously crossed the bridge and put it far behind them before stopping for the night. After a restful night's sleep, the group continued along the road until the forked paths rejoined, and the forest and cliff dwindled to vast rolling plains. Here the road became little more that wagon ruts, leading westward. A watch or so into the plains both Mishara and Jak heard hoofbeats from the south. Soon three figures appeared on a nearby hilltop. What appeared to be horse-riders from a distance, were hybrid creatures with large deer bodies, human torsos and arms, and antlered deer heads. Each of creatures held staves with opposing curved blades at each end. Reaching the group they greeted in a strange non-human tongue that the Elve was able to understand. After some conversation with Mishara, the Shulut bleated some words which seemed to command the group's steeds to turn south as they were led into the heart of the prairie. After a few hours ride the riders and Shulut arrived at a large camp of creatures and free horses. They were told to wait here for the elders who may be able to help them in their search for the Argentale. While waiting, they were instructed that no horses or steeds may be enslaved in this place, and that they must unpack and unsaddle their steeds. When it would come time to leave, the horses would be given choice whether they would accompany the group from the Telabra Plain. That night, when the various Shulut scouting parties returned an elder addressed Mishara at length. Word returned from camp that others had met a human ranger on the northwest edge of the plain some years ago, and offered to escort the party to that area come morning. The group agreed. The next morning, a group of three Shulut led the group, who had lost all but two horses in the morning's decisions, to the edge of the Telabra Plain, where the southern edges of the Elderwood meet the rolling grassy hills. Here Mishara led the group deep into the ancient forest looking for a stream that bore the name Argentale, in a place called the Silverwood. The night spent in the forest was uneventful. On the following day the group found a streamside path that wandered back to a village where a woman told them how to find the cottage of the Argentales. The group rode and walked through town and to the small streamside house west of the village. Outside the house they were met by Iahn Argentale, an older man who seemed strong, with more than a passing resemblence to the dead Kaithah. The man seemed eager to hear news from the friends of his daughter but his face became long when heard the news and saw his daughter's form, wrapped in a blanket on horseback. Gaelyn Frithgenst, an Elve woman came outside to greet the strangers, but she too lost all enthusiasm at the site of her mortal husband lifting the parcel from the horseback. Alcerra accompanied the two inside to speak with them. Soon Iahn left the house and ran to the village to make preparations. Iahn soon returned with a small entourage of somber villagers. Jak produced Kaithah's flute and gave it to Iahn who nodded his thanks and passed it on to another. The entourage wound through the woods, along an odd trail. Despite the coming night, the air grew somewhat lighter while they walked to the bald hill. The group emerged form the forest at a grassy hill surrounded by a stream with circled it without beginning or end. On the nearest hillside two figures already stood with shovels, having dug a small grave. Crossing the stream all could hear the whispers and voices of ghosts and spirits that dwelled on that hill and while her body was lowered into the hole a flutist began playing a beautiful tune from the hilltop. No words were said at the service, but Alcerra who noticed her contact with Draun suddenly severed upon crossing the stream knew the place to be hallowed to Woad. Reverently all watched as the shovelers covered the grave and the procession turned and walked away from the strange hill. No one looked back to the enchanted sight as they wound back through the woods, but Mishara at least knew that they would have seen nothing even if they had. A wake was held that night in the town. Kaithah's mother, Gaelyn, entertained the crowds with illusions of butterflies and singing birds, while Dammon sat to the side juggling small balls with his magics. There was much eating and drinking, and Jak took the opportunity to relate many of his remembrances of Kaithah. In the early morning hours the villagers slowly filtered back into their homes, and into the woods. The group was welcomed to the small village inn, where they would spend the night's remainder. The next morning the group ate with a traveled man named Cyrdanis, who claimed to be a member of a brotherhood of rangers that hailed from a fortress called Deephold. Cyrdanis related what little he could regarding the movement of troops throughout the Northwoods but did not know the reasons for the soldiers' presence. When told about the goblin invasions, he told Jak that he should speak with the Goblin Queen, and that she could be found near the Two Brothers. After breakfast the group returned to the Argentale home where Mishara asked a favor of Gaelyn. Gaelyn produced a small pouch from an oaken chest in the house's main room, and asked the Elve to bring forward that which he wished identified. Mishara pulled out the Ring of Thorns and Alcerra brought forward her Saranthi armor. The ritual of identification took most of the day, leaving Gaelyn exhausted, and granting her a much desired sleep. The group returned to the village inn for one more night before traveling north and west toward Avarlin. 11 Jul 1998
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Navigation People Anooph (Bbn3) Introducing Deephold: Buried
in the western reaches of the Northwood
yawns a dark ravine spanned with the moss-clad bones of a long fell bloodling.
Concealed within the chasm stands an ancient fort of Elve construction
which now houses the Order of Deephold. Originally founded by rangers
protecting the forest holdings of the Othic High Lord, the Order's charter
is no longer a noble charge. The current missions of the Order are
to provide guardianship of the Northwoods and act as protectors to the
worshippers of Woad. The adoption of Woad
into the Order is destined to draw them into conflict with the Othic throne.
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| Ref. PHB (Player's Handbook), © Wizards of the Coast  |
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