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Post by CartMid on Nov 28, 2008 22:41:00 GMT -5
The Thayan Invasors
I was watching the wilds just north of Beregost and for my surprise Things were quite changed.
A huge construction had took place in what once was a Beautiful landscape. Men. Some of them with red robes, some in full armor and some that were not men. Huge constructs and beasts now dwell in that place making our once calm wilderness a real mess.
They come with weapons and axes, tearing the woods down with no respect for our humble shrine of the lady.
This must stop now! I wonder what are the feelings of the Ancient One regarding that. We must discuss it right away. I pray for Mielikki though that we are not too late.
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Post by DM Cephas on Nov 29, 2008 13:25:13 GMT -5
A large hawk circles above and upon finding Daelthrien swoops down. The Ranger instinctively puts up his arm and the hawk lands on his arm. In its beak is a patch with the symbol of Red Wizards possibly ripped from one their robes. It is torn as if ruined by sharp claws and teeth and then dragged through mud and dirt. It is wrapped and pierced by vine riddled with sharp thorns. In the talons of the hawk is a mask or hood of some sort and is given to Daelthrien. It is almost as if the mask was intended for the ranger to wear and the torn patch a message for what needs to be done.
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Post by waleswizard on Dec 5, 2008 23:29:54 GMT -5
After many days tracking in the wild alone,Setheron sat by the road some what aways from the gate.A soft tread broke him from his meditations.The shadows thickened and Daelthrien Silverleaf stood in front of him.
It was time.
He followed the experienced ranger into the cloakwood,and the path took him deep into the leafy world of his mistress Mielikki.
After hours of testing (some tests known...and others that he was not aware of),Daelthrien turned to Setheron and welcomed him as a brother pathfinder..................................................................................
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Post by CartMid on Dec 8, 2008 12:37:09 GMT -5
//Ok, here's an update of how things are now:
Elder Ranger: Master Rialathorn Aravair (aka WWW)
Warden: Daelthrien Silverleaf (aka CartMid)
Earth Guardian: Galad Faromil (aka GalinFaroth)
Pathfinder(s): Setheron Angalis (aka Waleswizard)
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Post by DM Sir Carnifex on Jan 8, 2009 14:50:59 GMT -5
Since we are merging the nature guilds, I will unsticky this one for now. In time, I will move it to keep the place from being cluttered with unused threads.
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Post by madcomposer on Jan 19, 2009 8:47:18 GMT -5
“Ladyyyy Desireeeee.”
A strong but gentle masculine voice wafted from behind Desiree and slowly seeped into her consciousness. The voice seemed indistinct, like an afterthought as she could barely separate it from her own thoughts and the thoughts of the Forest Mind. The voice dissipated, and Desiree quickly dismissed the interruption; however, as she concentrated once more on the forest presence around her, a dark cloud appeared and began to cloud her mind. Despite the strongest act of her will, the cloud grew, choking the pristine wilderness, until...
“Lady Desiree!”
At once she assumed her senses with the reflexes of a panther. The voice was no longer gentle, but sharp, determined and arresting. She whipped around to determine to whom the familiar voice belonged to, but the sight she beheld could not have been more unexpected.
“Lady Desiree, the time for meditation is no longer; the time for battle is at hand! Our Lady of the Forest is under siege!”
Before her stood a veritable pantheon of forest Keepers; to the right stood Daelthrien Silverleaf, whose voice had stirred her from her séance, in the middle was the venerable Tarsakh and M’Darfein; and to the right a concerned Azreal the Summoner leaned precariously on his staff. Desiree, still dumbstruck by the summons and the figures which stood before her, could barely enunciate.
“M—Master Daelthrien!”
“An army of goblins descends upon Mielikki’s sanctuary, and they bring further abominations with them. Keepers of the Forest, to arms!”
With that stern declaration, Daelthrien lifted up his scimitar pointing to the west, where the fiery torches brought by the approaching masses left no doubt as to truth of his testimony. Desiree steeled her nerves for the coming confrontation.
“Quickly, we must choose our battlefield and lay an ambush.”
Desiree nodded in agreement and with that the party departed silently from Mielikki’s shrine. Desiree knew that this section of the Coast Way was no stranger to goblin armies, and neither was she; however, this particular horde filled her with apprehension, although she did not understand why at the time. Perhaps it had something to do with the dark cloud entering her mind. Presently, the foursome stopped behind a knoll to determine the difficulty of the task ahead.
“Lady Desiree, what do your ranger eyes see ahead?”
She looked over the horde of goblins stretched before them; as Desiree scanned the bleak horizon, Tarsakh let out a low whistle. In the distance, near the center of the army, were five boxes laden upon teams of six goblins; each box was emblazoned with a mysterious symbol, the meaning of which evaded Desiree completely.
“There must be at least sixty of them. But I haven’t a clue what are in those boxes.”
Daelthrien pensively grasped the sword in his sheath.
“Goblins may not be our only enemy tonight. Upon each of those crates an extremely powerful ward has been placed; whatever is inside, they did not want it coming out.”
Master Dealthien quickly scanned the layout of the land before them; Desiree watched as he smiled contentedly, only the contents of the mysterious crates seemed to worry him. Suddenly, he sprang into action.
“Tarsakh and M’Darfein, it would be best if you attacked from the shade to the north and—Azreal, you would be best attacking from the south where your summons will have room to maneuver. Lady Desiree, I will ask you to back us with your bow. To your places, Keepers, and watch for the glint of Selune upon my sword!”
Desiree nodded solemnly as she stooped behind Daelthrien, her hand snaking around her waist, quietly preparing her bow which was secured to her back. She watched the homely elf with the utmost admiration; even the wild spirits of the druids obeyed his command. They may grasp the wisdom of the forest with unparalleled depth, but when it comes to the execution of an ambush, one could not go wrong seeking the leadership of an eminent ranger. Desiree silently prepared an arrow as she waited with baited breath and steadfast determination for the signal.
And at last it came. With a single choreographed motion, Daelthrien withdrew his sword from its scabbard and laced it threateningly in the cords of light from the moon. The time for action had finally come.
The battle was fierce, but brief. Tarsakh charged first with M’Darfein close behind, swinging his quarterstaff blessed with sylvan fire while Azreal flanked the goblins with an army of fearsome forest denizens. It was into this confused array Daelthrien charged, wielding his swords thirsty for the blood of the foolish interlopers. The cowardly goblin horde melted before the three-pronged assault like the hoar frost before the first light of the sun. As Desiree catapulted arrow after arrow into the fray, she wondered at how at last she was using her abilities, all of which never seemed more than hobbies to her, to protect the sanctity of the forest with other like minds. She felt a wonderful freedom, the freedom of using her talents to compliment something greater than herself.
As the men on the frontlines approached the mysterious crates, Desiree could definitely tell something unusual was happening. Most of the goblins had either been killed or dispersed by now, and those that remained were retreating to the boxes, perhaps to protect them, or perhaps for a different purpose. Desiree replaced her bow and pulled out her scimitar and sickle, and charged into the battle with the same fervor as her companions.
Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light filled the valley. Desiree gaped in horror as the ugliest creatures she had ever seen, burst out of the boxes spilling onto the battlefield. At that, the advance of the brave Keepers faltered. Daelthrien looked up, his face no longer filled with the confidence and vigor of battle.
“Beholders! Friends of the forest, fall back!”
But the instructions were not needed, for the others had already noted the danger they were in. Desiree at last caught up to Daelthrien.
“Master Daelthrien, what—what is happening?”
The glare of a grim-faced ranger met the questioning Desiree.
“I told you to fall back, Lady Desiree. You are still too weak!”
“No, I will not leave your side!”
“You will fall prey to their magic. No, don’t... look...”
The command came too late. Desiree turned to face the monstrous aberrations, only to be struck down by a single glance from one of the hideous eyes. Suddenly, the swirling thoughts that had occupied her mind ceased, and she felt a cold foreign consciousness grasp her imagination. All of the steeled will within her was replaced with inky blackness, and Desiree sank to her knees. With one last act of her will, she attempted to wrest control of her mind, only to be rebuffed by the vast arcane power of her enemy. With her last gasp, she collapsed face-first into the grassy knoll...
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“Do not move, child of the forest.”
Desiree looked up. She half expected to see a beholder staring into her face once more, but instead it was the kindly, weathered face of M’Darfein, the wild elf druid. He bowed his head, muttering in some long dead language. Suddenly he lifted his arms up to the sky, and at once Desiree felt the power of the forest course through her body.
“What...happened? Where did those... monsters go?”
She suddenly felt unexpectedly well and peaceful as the healing spell did its work. She sat up and looked around, noticing Daelthrien, Tarsakh and Azreal near a pile of rubble. Desiree rubbed her eyes as M’Darfien replied.
“The beholders recognized you as the weakest among us, and they focused their power upon your young mind. Fortunately, they left their backs exposed to us. You should thank Daelthrien, he withstood two of them at once until we caught up to you.”
Daelthrien turned is head towards Desiree; seeing that she was awake, he turned and approached her, beaming broadly.
“Ah, Lady Desiree, you are well.”
“Master Daelthrien!”
The elf grasped her shoulder kindly as his face melted into a somber expression.
“Lady Desiree, it is time. You must follow me.”
He glanced up towards the road, and the two treaded slowly to the Shrine of Mielikki. Daelthrien turned reverently to face the Shrine, as did Desiree. They both stood there a moment—in uncomfortable silence.
“Lady Desiree, you did not obey my command.”
“I... am sorry... I... am not... accustomed to commands.”
The presence of both a physical manifestation of Mielikki, and Daelthrien Silverleaf weighed heavily upon her conscious. She did not speak the words with rebellion, but with soulful honesty. She had been her own master for the last two years, going where she pleased, doing what she pleased without kneeling to any authority. Daelthrien expelled an anguished sigh.
“Lady Desiree, there is something else. You have walked these lands for many moons, and have met with many of us, the protectors of the forest. You have, though, avoided our company and avoided the demands our mistress has put upon us. Is this not a disservice to our mistress, Lady Desiree?”
Desiree suddenly felt her throat run dry and her stomach churn as the guilt of her lack of faithfulness to Mielikki began to weigh upon her. At that juncture, Daelthrien decided to take a step back from his inquisition; he took a deep breath of the forest night air, fixating upon the shrine before him.
“Is not our mistress a woman of magnificent beauty, Lady Desiree? Do not her sanctuaries bring the enjoyments of heaven itself down to earth?”
Desiree perked up at last.
“Yes, she is the most beautiful thing in the world to me. No other place is of mor e beauty then her groves and places of refuge.”
“Lady Desiree, you must join us. I... do not know if you are aware of it, but something has stirred in the wood. Something which has slept for generations now prepares to awaken. For a time it will grow and blossom, and become a power unto itself, but until then, it will need protectors and caretakers to help it grow. I speak of the Ancient One, Lady Desiree, have you felt it stir as well?”
The question was simple, but it stirred within Desiree a powerful array of emotions which had assailed her since her childhood. A single tear materialized in her eye, and announced itself through her cracking voice.
“I... I do not feel myself worthy to sit among you.”
Daelthrien seemed surprised by the answer, and perhaps even balked.
“Worthy! You do not feel yourself worthy, Lady Desiree? If you are not worthy, then I am truly hopeless. I have watched you from afar; I must strain at every minor incantation, every prayer I use I must suck every drop of power from my soul; but you Lady Desiree! You channel her spirit freely. Her presence virtually radiates through you! I suspect that you contain within your body a... shard of her very existence! Wherever you walk, you bring her presence with you. Do you not feel it, Lady Desiree?”
Desiree felt within herself something stirring, almost in resonance with the words of Daelthrien. That inner radiance which she had used for trivial purposes throughout her life suddenly had meaning to her. No longer under the imprisonment of her own inhibitions and folly she responded with uncharacteristic gusto.
“Yes, Master Daelthrien I feel it. I WILL join you.”
With that response, Daelthrien smiled once more.
“Thank you child. If you do not feel worthy at this moment, you will be the worker of deeds that will show to all your worthiness to serve our mistress, and Abeir-Toril itself. Do you know my brother, Galad Faromi?”
Desiree nodded.
“Yes, I thought so. You must go find him. That is your first task, as a Ranger of Mielikki.”
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Post by CartMid on Jan 28, 2009 10:14:14 GMT -5
And finally Daelthrien arrived in the cloudpeaks not finding any trace of his brothers.
He fell on his knees tired from many hours walking, tracking his missing fellow rangers.
He began pondering what he could do. And thoughts of the ones he cared about came in his head once more.
In that moment noticing Daelthrien's agony, the hawk descended from the skies and landed on Daelthrien's shoulder.
At least you still here, my friend - He smiled
He stopped for a moment, picked the burnt piece of wood and a parchment he carried in one of his pockets and began writing a letter...
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