Gladius
10-09-2015, 12:10 PM
Part 3: Yggdrasil's Might
Our party made their way north through the corrupted plain of the Elondrian realm, treading past once tranquil groves and majestic forests, now turned into unhallowed twist pits of corrupted vegetation and mutated life.The would occasionally stop as Winstrom named some of the key locations they were in and described some of its past significance. Eventually, they sighted a tall tower with wooden huts fashioned like the one in the outpost."There it is," Winstrom said, pointing forward eagerly,"Oakenheart outpost." He announced as he raced forward with the party following suit.
They stopped in front of the large hut.The rotten wood and disintegrated patches on the roof now visible.The ground was the same sickly shade of purple and beige as they had walked on when they left Bromgar's Stand.This place was obviously not spared from the corruption of Ursoth's assault but Winstrom sighed and spread his arms wide as he turned 360 degrees looking around. "Would you be glad to tell us the importance of this dump?", Nat said annoyed.
"She's more skeptical of me than you were, Helf," Winstrom whispered in a side tone, "Well young lady this ranger's outpost is nestled between the Yggdrasil's forest, Fenric's rest and several other sacred sites of ancient power and wisdom.",he said effortless pronouncing the words as the others tried to get their heads around and tongues tied.
"Yig-dri-what?" Trim asked stupefied.
"yig-dre-sil." Winstrom pronounced,"The forest of living wood,Home to the Treants and possibly the origination location of Yggdrasil, the living."
"I take it this Yggdrasil is some kind of legend?" Helfdane inquired.
"The first of the treants. He contains more arcane power than Shady and Surge." Winstrom replied.
Shadox whistled in awe and impression, "that's a lot of power.So who's Fenric?"
"We're about to find out." Winstrom said as he stared back at the north, a red mist, with distinguishable figures scrambling forward towards them.As they advanced more details could be discerned. Shaggy black pelts of fur, stained in a red substance coated the members of the pack,sharp claws and canines showed on the hairy wolfish paws and elongated snouts.
"Werewolves?" Helfdane asked fearfully.
"Much worse. Were-druids." Winstrom said,"Ironically most of them were druids."
"Friends of Fenric, I suppose?" Nat said, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow.
"Technically, Fenric doesn't have friends cause he's dead, so thus Fenric's rest." Winstrom explained as he brought out his guitar and began to tune it.
"Are you going to give us an inspiring song ?" Helfdane asked, brandishing his ax when he was sure they were heading their way.
"I'll do you one better! I'll inspire, and get some help!",Winstrom said excited, his pupils now a vibrant green shade.He made his unnerving smile as he looked at all the uneased faces. "Dont worry, I can pull some strings," he joked as he plucked a few notes."So who wants to see what the old tree has in store!"
The party left Winstrom to his musical madness as they face the incoming pack of were-druids. A howl pierced the air as the pack flooded in, taking down structures in their berserk wake. Helfdane smashed down from the sky, hammering a large number of were-druids.Trim and Shadox stood at a distance from the vile pack while bombarding them with a barrage of flames and bursts lightning this was one crowd they did not want to get in the middle of and Trim wasn't eager to get another mark, so he withheld his gale.Nat on the other hand, jumped straight into the fray, dashing around and bursting down foes with immense precision and damage as her allies held them at bay,she effortless evaded their attacks with nimble and dexterous poise and dagger shield (I have no idea what its called) and keeping them at bay with her bow if they came too close.But the pack didn't easily back down and their slices began to hit their marks.Then Winstrom took his solo.
A peaceful serene strumming flows through the outpost, the sudden calming influence from the riotous frenzy both confused and soothed.Green glowing strands of arcane writing like the ones that Rendtail's dragonstone ring invokes, rose from the ground and fluttered in many different directions, the runes moved along a line like they were music written on sheets.The earth began to rumble and then a trumpet blared loudly followed by then continuous low beat of drums. The party quickly shook off their daze and assaulted as the pack who still tried to get their wits about them. Winstrom's song, sung in the ancient runes of Elondria, drowned the noise of their struggle as his vitalized the party of their wounds and began quaking the earth
Suddenly a large quake tremored the earth and an ancient cry roared in primitive fury as roots began to claw through the ground. Purple wood binding together to form a massive monolithic body of gnarled wood and leaves, with gigantic legs, broad and thick and massive fists brutal and frightening as cliff faces. It's eyes gleamed yellow with calculative strength and ferocity, looking around at the pack of druids bundled together like termites scurrying.
"Arise, Shadowpine, Son of Yggdrasil. Let them be trampled in the wrath of your roots." Winstrom said calmly as Shadowpine roared and began to trample the pack under his massive feet, walking with deceptive speed and pummeling them with his massive fists. Helfdane shielded his allies as they receded from the wooden brute.
"So thaaaaat's our help." Trim commented, as his party milled about watching the spectacle.
"I was hoping to meet Yggdrasil himself to be honest," Shadox added wistfully.
"Pffff. I'm too insignificant for that guy, so I got the next best thing, his boy!" Winstrom replied as he slung his guitar back.
"How are we sure it won't corrupt?" Helfdane added thoughtfully as he stared at the flock of druids who were now feral monsters.
"Umm..." Winstrom trailed off, which worried the party.
Cracks began to envelop the thick purple bark of Shadowpine and the blood of the fallen feral druids began to seep in.Bit by bit Shadowpine began to slow down his relentless smashing and the were-druids took their chance and began to carve out their purple oppressor.With an agonized roar, Shadowpine collapsed to his knees and then fell face first, flattening most of the pack from under him.
"That wasn't suppose to happen," Winstrom replied as the situation got even worse. With another cry Shadowpine got up, his bark began to regrow but the poison that coursed through the were-druids veins now diffused into Shadowpine, causing eruptions of earthen growth. His bushes of leaves now a blood red sheen and his eyes were now glowing purple with ominous intent. With a resounding cry Shadowpine tore apart the rest of the outpost.
"RUN!" Helfdane yelled, unwilling to wait for a reason to this nightmarish turn of events.
"Where!?" Shadox retorted.
"Winstrom!" Trim cried
"Right. That way!" Winstrom pointed randomly in a direction.
"You sure?" Shadox inquired.
"JUST RUN!" Nat yelled as she began to go in the targeted direction. The rest following suit as Winstrom hurriedly played a violin, boosting their movement speed as Shadowpine set his sights on them. With another resounding roar, he chased after them, stomping the ground, tearing apart the wooden structures. Every step sent a tremor through the earth and through the spine of our heroes.
"Where... are.. we.. going?" Shadox told as he began to breathe raggedly.
"To where the unicorns are." Winstrom replied as he briefly paused then resumed as he led his party closer to the heart of Elondria.
(Continues in part4)
Our party made their way north through the corrupted plain of the Elondrian realm, treading past once tranquil groves and majestic forests, now turned into unhallowed twist pits of corrupted vegetation and mutated life.The would occasionally stop as Winstrom named some of the key locations they were in and described some of its past significance. Eventually, they sighted a tall tower with wooden huts fashioned like the one in the outpost."There it is," Winstrom said, pointing forward eagerly,"Oakenheart outpost." He announced as he raced forward with the party following suit.
They stopped in front of the large hut.The rotten wood and disintegrated patches on the roof now visible.The ground was the same sickly shade of purple and beige as they had walked on when they left Bromgar's Stand.This place was obviously not spared from the corruption of Ursoth's assault but Winstrom sighed and spread his arms wide as he turned 360 degrees looking around. "Would you be glad to tell us the importance of this dump?", Nat said annoyed.
"She's more skeptical of me than you were, Helf," Winstrom whispered in a side tone, "Well young lady this ranger's outpost is nestled between the Yggdrasil's forest, Fenric's rest and several other sacred sites of ancient power and wisdom.",he said effortless pronouncing the words as the others tried to get their heads around and tongues tied.
"Yig-dri-what?" Trim asked stupefied.
"yig-dre-sil." Winstrom pronounced,"The forest of living wood,Home to the Treants and possibly the origination location of Yggdrasil, the living."
"I take it this Yggdrasil is some kind of legend?" Helfdane inquired.
"The first of the treants. He contains more arcane power than Shady and Surge." Winstrom replied.
Shadox whistled in awe and impression, "that's a lot of power.So who's Fenric?"
"We're about to find out." Winstrom said as he stared back at the north, a red mist, with distinguishable figures scrambling forward towards them.As they advanced more details could be discerned. Shaggy black pelts of fur, stained in a red substance coated the members of the pack,sharp claws and canines showed on the hairy wolfish paws and elongated snouts.
"Werewolves?" Helfdane asked fearfully.
"Much worse. Were-druids." Winstrom said,"Ironically most of them were druids."
"Friends of Fenric, I suppose?" Nat said, drawing her bow and nocking an arrow.
"Technically, Fenric doesn't have friends cause he's dead, so thus Fenric's rest." Winstrom explained as he brought out his guitar and began to tune it.
"Are you going to give us an inspiring song ?" Helfdane asked, brandishing his ax when he was sure they were heading their way.
"I'll do you one better! I'll inspire, and get some help!",Winstrom said excited, his pupils now a vibrant green shade.He made his unnerving smile as he looked at all the uneased faces. "Dont worry, I can pull some strings," he joked as he plucked a few notes."So who wants to see what the old tree has in store!"
The party left Winstrom to his musical madness as they face the incoming pack of were-druids. A howl pierced the air as the pack flooded in, taking down structures in their berserk wake. Helfdane smashed down from the sky, hammering a large number of were-druids.Trim and Shadox stood at a distance from the vile pack while bombarding them with a barrage of flames and bursts lightning this was one crowd they did not want to get in the middle of and Trim wasn't eager to get another mark, so he withheld his gale.Nat on the other hand, jumped straight into the fray, dashing around and bursting down foes with immense precision and damage as her allies held them at bay,she effortless evaded their attacks with nimble and dexterous poise and dagger shield (I have no idea what its called) and keeping them at bay with her bow if they came too close.But the pack didn't easily back down and their slices began to hit their marks.Then Winstrom took his solo.
A peaceful serene strumming flows through the outpost, the sudden calming influence from the riotous frenzy both confused and soothed.Green glowing strands of arcane writing like the ones that Rendtail's dragonstone ring invokes, rose from the ground and fluttered in many different directions, the runes moved along a line like they were music written on sheets.The earth began to rumble and then a trumpet blared loudly followed by then continuous low beat of drums. The party quickly shook off their daze and assaulted as the pack who still tried to get their wits about them. Winstrom's song, sung in the ancient runes of Elondria, drowned the noise of their struggle as his vitalized the party of their wounds and began quaking the earth
Suddenly a large quake tremored the earth and an ancient cry roared in primitive fury as roots began to claw through the ground. Purple wood binding together to form a massive monolithic body of gnarled wood and leaves, with gigantic legs, broad and thick and massive fists brutal and frightening as cliff faces. It's eyes gleamed yellow with calculative strength and ferocity, looking around at the pack of druids bundled together like termites scurrying.
"Arise, Shadowpine, Son of Yggdrasil. Let them be trampled in the wrath of your roots." Winstrom said calmly as Shadowpine roared and began to trample the pack under his massive feet, walking with deceptive speed and pummeling them with his massive fists. Helfdane shielded his allies as they receded from the wooden brute.
"So thaaaaat's our help." Trim commented, as his party milled about watching the spectacle.
"I was hoping to meet Yggdrasil himself to be honest," Shadox added wistfully.
"Pffff. I'm too insignificant for that guy, so I got the next best thing, his boy!" Winstrom replied as he slung his guitar back.
"How are we sure it won't corrupt?" Helfdane added thoughtfully as he stared at the flock of druids who were now feral monsters.
"Umm..." Winstrom trailed off, which worried the party.
Cracks began to envelop the thick purple bark of Shadowpine and the blood of the fallen feral druids began to seep in.Bit by bit Shadowpine began to slow down his relentless smashing and the were-druids took their chance and began to carve out their purple oppressor.With an agonized roar, Shadowpine collapsed to his knees and then fell face first, flattening most of the pack from under him.
"That wasn't suppose to happen," Winstrom replied as the situation got even worse. With another cry Shadowpine got up, his bark began to regrow but the poison that coursed through the were-druids veins now diffused into Shadowpine, causing eruptions of earthen growth. His bushes of leaves now a blood red sheen and his eyes were now glowing purple with ominous intent. With a resounding cry Shadowpine tore apart the rest of the outpost.
"RUN!" Helfdane yelled, unwilling to wait for a reason to this nightmarish turn of events.
"Where!?" Shadox retorted.
"Winstrom!" Trim cried
"Right. That way!" Winstrom pointed randomly in a direction.
"You sure?" Shadox inquired.
"JUST RUN!" Nat yelled as she began to go in the targeted direction. The rest following suit as Winstrom hurriedly played a violin, boosting their movement speed as Shadowpine set his sights on them. With another resounding roar, he chased after them, stomping the ground, tearing apart the wooden structures. Every step sent a tremor through the earth and through the spine of our heroes.
"Where... are.. we.. going?" Shadox told as he began to breathe raggedly.
"To where the unicorns are." Winstrom replied as he briefly paused then resumed as he led his party closer to the heart of Elondria.
(Continues in part4)