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February 28th 2015
"Look up the Elven word for Jew."
Sir Alestair packed his gear and climbed up onto Grace to leave the grove of Irminsul, the oak of Geismar, the Father Tree. He waited a moment as the others mounted up, and soon they all turned to the northwest. He reflected how much had changed since he had last been here, mostly within himself. How could men of the same faith and acting towards the same ends find themselves on the opposite side of a battle? Alestair was secure in his faith of Agnelo, but he had to question almost everything else.
It began on the 18th day of Autumn’s Breath when Livid and Brenaed told him about their dream. It seemed like such a wonderful idea, and they were taking the baron to Port Classon anyway. Badenscoth was a beautiful city with lovely gardens and open spaces. A few elves even walked the city without fear, and a night in Four Cauldrons Inn set a tone for a comfortable quest.
Port Classon was also a lovely town rising up a gentle hill from the Padraic Sea. The rich colors of fall gave the area a peaceful hue. They were rewarded handsomely for protecting the baron and were invited to stay with him and put in the hands of the capable and ancient chamberlain, Andoli. Baron Mears’s son, Davel, was a little obnoxious, but that is the curse of the nobility.
They booked passage on the Lucky Buckler under Captain Gideon and first mate Hudd. The crew was decent if largely dependent on their drink. Fey Isle had dark cliffs, but it was not imposing. Once upon the cliffs, they could all feel a deep connection with Abril. To Alestair, this connection was clearly a conduit to sense the grandeur of Agenlo. In the deep forest, the sense was not that of good over evil, but rather a balance… and enduring balance between good, evil, order, and chaos. It was an intangible experience, but the tigers that pounced were extremely tangible. Michael Fabian, Tiger Killer, saved them all from certain death.
After resting, they had continued along a path deeper into the forest of Fey Isle. They came to a sort of person who appeared have the form of a female elf with bark for skin and leaves for hair. This was something new for the paladin, but her soft voice made him feel at ease. Her name was Gotigren, and she said that she was pleased to see them. She hoped that they would be able to save her sister… Geismar. The multiple names given to Irminsul suddenly made more sense. Then Gotigren expressed that she was sorry for what was to happen, but that they would be unharmed. Suddenly on edge, the paladin called on his faith of Agnelo to resist the flurry of pixie arrows that struck them. He resisted as the others fell, but eventually even he succumbed to the fey creatures.
They woke up near a brook at dusk with softly glowing bugs and tiny plants. They heard singing, and made their way towards the voice. They found a pond with a small wooden bridge leading to an island. The singing came from a beautiful woman with copper hair and swept back ears. Her name was Helsnedra. Four centaurs and four satyrs were companions and guards for a female pixie sitting on the back of a unicorn. The pixie was Lontrora’El, and it seemed she was the voice in the dreams that summoned them here.
Then there was great confusion. It seems Lontrora’El had heard that they were heroes working with Sir Hilton Granges… and that the human king had said this danger was foretold and so were the champions. To her, this meant they were destined to save the world in some way. In the end, it was decided they would hear her out. The grove of Irminsul would always be safe from the undead unless Irminsul itself died. They could save it, but something was needed… the blood of the paladins who burned Irminsul. They must die, and their blood must be brought to her.
This is when things truly went wrong for Alestair. The paladins were of the Order of Saint Tibrus, so they have different views on faith, but they all uphold the principles of Agnelo, righteousness, and law. How could he be in a position that requires him to kill other paladins? Would he be removed from the order? Would Agnelo strike him down?
Meanwhile, Francois Villon of Torribia attempted to seduce Helsnedra, but this was not to be.
As the turmoil tore through Alestair, Lontrora’El also provided them with gifts. They were amulets that could make their mounts move much faster even though it took too long to accelerate to use in battle.
They returned to Port Classon on the Lucky Buckler. The journey was that much darker for Alestair. They spent a single day, the 30th day of Autumn’s Breadth, training new ways to battle tigers. Livid journeyed into the nearby forest and sent a silent call into nature. In time, the call was answered as she was joined by Nag-Thir, a wolf with dark grey fur and a white streak from the left ear, down the back a few inches off the spine, and finally running down the tail. Alestair isn’t too sure about whether wolves are sufficiently noble animals to be companions, but he does not doubt it suits Livid well.
The somber journey took them to High Mangston, where they found the paladins with ease. They were hiding out in the Redbrick Inn. It seems the posse of druids and rangers were unable to follow them into Orroland, at least in a group. Alestair did not act with them, but the others crafted a clever trap. They forged a posting for all paladins of the Order of Saint Tibrus to return to Sword. This was fairly easy with Brenaed, the son of a high ranking paladin in the order.
On one hand, all they did was burn a tree. On the other hand, they destroyed a living symbol of faith important to many good people, and in the flames a boy died. Was death fair? In the battle against the undead, did “fair” matter? And if this were justice… what sort of justice must be served in secret?
Waiting on the road, Alestair decided that he may attack their mounts and defend himself, but he would not directly attack fellow paladins of Agenlo. When the moment of battle came, though, he was unable to resist the desire to strike them down. It was as though his will to follow the path of Agnelo could not stand up to his connection with Abril.
Lieutenant Dorrin Shaw, Sir Bennet Timist, Sir Garret Soltin, Sir Francin Lang, and Sir Sam Ponnack, all humble servants of Agnelo, were murdered on the 4th day of Autumn’s Reach. Livid drained a portion of their blood. Their enchanted weapons were taken, and their bodies were hidden in a shallow, unmarked grave. Sir Alestair took their holy symbols.
They made for Thadlen, and there Sir Alestair put the holy symbols in addition to all the gold the paladins carried into a collections box in a temple of Agnelo.
Then they set sail for Fey Isle again aboard Silver Waves with Captain Irwin, which seemed to be a much more professional ship. They were greeted warmly by a centaur without tigers and taken to the see Lontrora’El. She took the blood while the party played games with the centaur and a satyrs. After several hours, she gave them a sort of seed that was green with streaks of red. It was only about half an inch across. Five deaths for a seed?
Lontrora’El then told them about a weapon that may help them in their quest to defeat the undead. It is in the Grove of Aldersalm, which they should be able to find from Coura’Tor’Dara. Livid asks where they may find that, until she suddenly realizes that “Keep of the Southern Cliffs” in Illoran can really only mean one thing.
They left Fey Isle, again escorted by the centaur, who finally offered his name, Kralstin. From Thadlen they headed back to Irminsul as quickly as possible. Irminsul was barely clinging to life. Pellora seemed very excited that they had seen the pixie queen, and upon learning what they had, she told them to take it up to the tree.
A figure that appeared as an older Gotigren steps out of Irminsul. She reaches out and takes the seed… and then swallowed it. She smiled, and stood straighter. Then she turned and stepped back into Irminsul.
The healing process took about an hour as it moved from the trunk out to the smaller branches. The wood became unburned. The leaves formed and turned yellow and red… except for five leaves, which were green and fell on their heads. They seemed to be given in gratitude. Pellora said they may be able to help restore them if they are wounded, and they are almost never given.
Sir Alestair reaches down and pats Grace. He thinks of those five faces that fell. Those five faces that knelt before their Lord Commander and made their oaths as paladins just as he did. Those five faces who believed that an inexplicable rash of undead may be caused by pagan worshipers, and sought to help the world by removing one of their symbols. Those five faces who died for their efforts. Those five faces they covered with dirt. Then he considers the face of Livid, eager to drain their blood.
Livid glances over at the paladin. He is looking straight ahead, and not once looking in her direction. She realizes these southerners will need cold weather gear as they are heading into the northern mountains as winter approaches.
It is the 23rd day of Autumn’s Reach. The fog rises from the fields on the crisp morning. Sir Alestair pulls his cloak tighter around him. A tree is saved, paladins are dead, and there are miles to go.
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Do the asparagus look threatening?
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