The Grey Dragons/Logs/20240906 Mending The Wound
9/06/2024
It has been 450 years, 117 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.
It is the 3rd month of Lirisa the Archer in the year of the Golden Panther.
It is currently spring and it is dawn.
Hosts
Waydren
You see Druid Waydren Amlir, a Human.
Waydren's flesh is covered by a magical coat of protective scales. They swirl swiftly through vibrant hues of all the colors of the spectrum.
He has a square-jawed face, silver-flecked steely grey eyes and a straight nose. His dark brown hair is short and wavy. He has tanned skin and a deeply cowled cloak of dark jadeleaf cloth partially obscuring an athletic build.
He appears to be venerable.
Six long horns crown the skull headdress resting over his forehead. Black, cruelly spiked bricklebranch twigs coil around each curving point, gathering in a morass over the frontal bone. Articulated jawbones trail to skim his cheeks.
He is holding a viridian lirisan staff branded with druidic symbols in his right hand.
He is wearing a six-horned skull headdress twined with bricklebranch twigs, a deeply cowled cloak of dark jadeleaf cloth inked with a shadowy gloomwood tree, an off-white tunic wrapped with a wide leather belt, an azurelle-hafted throwing axe with a honed silversteel dragon-wing blade, a rugged yeehar-hide herb pouch, some grey linen pants with small bone buttons and some rugged leather traveler's boots.
Lupdels
You see Lupdels Del'Albaum, a Rakash.
He has crystal green eyes, a grizzled greyish-brown coat and a slender tail.
He appears to be ancient.
He is wearing a regally high-collared black robe trimmed with complex copper piping, some silver wire-framed spectacles with streaky ocean-blue lenses, a deeply hooded cloak of charcoal grey silk lined in inky black, an elegant asini ring set with diamonds framing a polished round black disc, and a cambrinth pick.
Kethrai
You see Heart Tender Kethrai, Life Weaver of Kaerna Village, a Prydaen Empath.
He has an oval face, cat-slitted moss-green eyes and a whiskered nose. His deep purple-streaked lavender mane is shoulder length and curly, and is worn in a halo of tousled curls. He has sandy fur with brown points, a fluffy tail and a lissome build.
He is short for a Prydaen.
He is a moth-stalker.
His facial fur is decorated with a bounty of tiny melir blooms. Clustered around his left eye, the white glaes flowers glisten with delicate rosy pink hues. Tiny petals trail downwards, whirling along his jaw as though scattered by an errant breeze.
His abdomen has a tattoo of a stunning vela'tohr flower bleeding through a variety of jewel-toned hues.
He is wearing a pale lavender etrana blossom with rich mulberry undertones, an Elven gold wedding torque capped with carved tiger lily carnelian blooms, a saffron marblesilk ysin embroidered with an extravagant flush of pale purple shalyria blossoms and a pair of gilded leather sandals with tiny gold buckles.
Anuril
You see Veteran Apprentice Anuril, Elemental Student of the Order of the Black Fox, an Elf.
He has a triangular face, pointed ears, gold-flecked amber eyes and a straight nose. His platinum hair is long and straight, and is worn in a simple, pulled-back style held in place by a wispy chain of wyndeflowers flecked with lightning amethysts. He has pale skin and a lean build.
He is a bit over average height for an Elf.
He looks young.
His left cheekbone has a tattoo of a vibrant bouquet of etlingera flowers inked in fiery pink and red hues.
He is in good shape.
He is wearing a forest green farandine mantle embroidered with silver ivy, a polished cambrinth cloak pin inlaid with a snowy alabaster unicorn, a high-necked sable-hued steelsilk tunic with silver piping, a shadesatin coat embroidered with overlapping leaves in rich forest-green, an uthamar wedding band inlaid with tiny lightning bolts formed of xenomite, an ebon-hued leather belt with a silver dragon's head buckle, a pair of tight-fitting jade-hued velvet trews and some calf-high black suede boots with silver clasps.
Main Event Log
You ask, "We begin. Lupdels, if you will?"
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Lupdels smiles at you.
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You say, "One last reminder for Rangers and Empaths to please join my group."
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You nod to Lupdels.
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Lupdels says, "Greetings to all, we have such a big group here. I appreciate your respect for our ritual and keeping your ... unncessary actions to a minimum."
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Lupdels says, "I am Lupdels, a most humble Bard, joining the path of Rangers and Empaths who search for balance."
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Lupdels says, "Welcome as well to any Bardic brothers and sisters here. As well as the elementalists helping . . ."
>
>look
[Eik Wood, Granite Outcroppings]
A smooth, sloping granite outcropping, like a monolith fallen and half buried, stands as a gate between familiar ground and the forest beyond. With the momentum of a trot it is an easy climb up and over to the forest trail. You also see an ethereal vela'tohr thicket, a red chestnut horse and a white dog (sitting).
Also here: Black Fox Xionara, Hunter Hanryu, Serial Killer Damiza, Strawberry Nurse Illiya, Breath of the Heralds Asildu, Messenger Miraena, Forest Sprite Lileath, Steward of Recursion Liraxes, Lord Knight Hebion, Ezathiel, Cateress Allye, Blight Sealer Sarugar, Funeral Director Leustyin, Bioexorcist Karthor, Mountain Lord Ezerak, Macabre Katriwen, Leviathan Friend Lupdels, Observer Eyuve, Life Weaver Ysilda, Knight Errant Trajan, Maiyara, Sayase, Wound Bearer Tsisis, Valynn, Sublime Mender Kerennya, Stellar Statistician Urbaj, Khozh Elizzibiana, Shadow's Touch Melindrha, Grennet, Musical Enthusiast Kentara, Desert Dancer Zersha, Tempest Knight Saragos, Pack Sister Kayena, War Healer Misteeus, Heart Tender Kethrai, Veteran Apprentice Anuril, Enelne's Daughter Azume (kneeling), Doctor of Kittens Sukidesu, Firehawk Casari and Sofina.
Obvious paths: southwest.
Room Number: 1973
Room Exits: climb monolith
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Lupdels says, "And those just observing ..."
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Lupdels nods to Saragos.
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Lupdels says, "You may remember me from my extensive lectures on dragons or my contributions to experiments with the Plane of Electricity."
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Zersha nods at Lupdels, obviously agreeing with his views.
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Lupdels smiles.
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Allye nods to Lupdels.
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Sir Madigan just arrived.
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Anuril nods to Lupdels.
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You nod at Lupdels, in complete agreement with his views.
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Illiya flashes a quick grin at Lupdels.
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Lupdels says, "The last two Beseech Rituals have revealed Elanthia That Was to the Rangers and Empaths present."
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Lupdels inhales a great swallow of air.
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Lupdels says, "Those Rituals also revealed that Elanthia is wounded."
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Lupdels sighs.
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Lupdels says, "In the past, elementalits have used Othersight to pierce the barriers between planes. Probing the Aetheric foundation of the planes to drive holes and bridge the planes."
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Lupdels says, "Now, we will do the opposite."
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Lupdels says, "I will use Othersight to search for the fractures, the wounds, in the Aether here. And together, we will heal it."
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Lupdels smiles.
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Anuril nods.
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Lupdels says, "We have reasons to believe that this location may be a weak spot that would be vulnerable to a buildup of extraplanar presence."
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Lupdels says, "If present, we will seek to mend this wound."
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Lupdels bows.
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Lupdels nods to you.
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You smile at Lupdels.
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Lupdels says, "And we begin."
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You say, "Let us begin as we did before."
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You say, "Before we ask of Elanthia we must know Elanthia."
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You say, "Ours is not merely a taking from a stranger."
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Zersha slowly empties her lungs.
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You say, "Elanthia has been an ally both now and in the past."
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You say, "We proceed with hearts open."
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You slowly and deliberately empty your filled lungs.
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You say, "Rangers and Empaths, familiarize yourselves with this area."
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Ezathiel bows his head in acknowledgement.
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Kayena casually observes the area.
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Grennet casually observes the area.
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Kethrai inhales a great swallow of air.
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Karthor closes his eyes for a moment and grows still.
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Melindrha takes a seat.
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You say, "We are within the Wilds, near to sources of corruption."
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Sarugar inhales a great swallow of air.
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Anuril gestures at Kethrai.
Kethrai looks steadier.
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Melindrha leans back.
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Kethrai slowly empties his lungs.
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Allye breathes very slowly and looks much calmer.
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Grennet closes his eyes and begins repeating a silly nonsense word, then shakes his head and sighs in frustration.
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Melindrha inhales a great swallow of air.
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Ezathiel casually observes the area.
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Kayena kneels down.
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Kerennya breathes very slowly and looks much calmer.
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Melindrha casually observes the area.
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You say, "Center your thoughts. You begin and end here."
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(Valynn closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath of air.)
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Hanryu glances out of the corner of his eye.
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Ezathiel kneels down.
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You say, "See it. Smell it. Hear it. Feel it."
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Lupdels inhales a great swallow of air.
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Ysilda inhales a great swallow of air.
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(Kayena touches the ground and runs her fingers through the soil)
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Ysilda slowly empties her lungs.
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Valynn takes a deep breath.
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Melindrha closes her eyes for a moment and grows still.
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Leustyin gestures.
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Perune whispers something to Saragos.
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Karthor inhales a great swallow of air.
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You say, "Sorcerous magic was wrought here recently."
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Grennet just touched an oshu'mary twig sprouting with arrow-shaped leaves.
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(Zersha crouches down and digs her fingers into the dirt, letting her mind focus on the growing things around her and the earth under her feet.)
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Anuril frowns.
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Grennet gazes up at the sky.
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You say, "Perceive it. Search for the residue."
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Allye closes her eyes for a moment and grows still.
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Karthor slowly empties his lungs.
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Kerennya closes her eyes for a moment and grows still.
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You say, "Know this place in your innermost being."
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Valynn kneels down.
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(Ezathiel lays his palms to the ground and grasps some of the soil, bringing it up to his nostrils and smelling deeply of it.)
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You say, "You and this place are one."
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Kethrai gives you a slight nod.
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Hanryu inhales a great swallow of air.
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You say, "You and Elanthia are one."
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(Valynn places the flat of her hand against the ground.)
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Ezathiel inhales a great swallow of air.
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Miraena unconciously takes in a deep breath of air along with those gathered.
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(Sukidesu closes his eyes and perceives the Life around him)
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You nod to Kethrai.
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Ezathiel slowly empties his lungs.
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Sukidesu closes his eyes for a moment and grows still.
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Miraena slowly empties her lungs.
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Zersha inhales a great swallow of air.
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You ask Kethrai, "Life Brother, if you will?"
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Ezathiel stands up.
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Kethrai says, "Empaths, please select a Ranger or two, and link with them, as well as with Lupdels and Anuril. Our goal today is to be the conduit of knowledge between them."
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Liraxes watches silently.
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Kethrai touches Anuril with a confident grace and heartfelt smile.
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Allye nods to Kethrai.
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Kethrai touches Lupdels with a confident grace and heartfelt smile.
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Allye touches Shaylynne with a confident grace and heartfelt smile.
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Valynn takes a deep breath.
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Kethrai touches you with a confident grace and heartfelt smile.
You feel a warmth radiate from Kethrai's touch.
You have a brief sensation that leaves your wounds tingling.
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Sukidesu rests his hand on Kayena's arm with a soft smile.
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Karthor lays his hand on Valynn's arm.
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Damiza gestures at Sothios.
Sothios closes his eyes and settles into a graceful stance.
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You sense a deepening closeness between you and Kethrai.
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Misteeus touches Lupdels with a confident, if reserved, grace.
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Karthor lays his hand on Lupdels's arm.
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Allye touches Valynn with a confident grace and familiar smile.
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Valynn smiles at Karthor.
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Kethrai says, "A persistent link would be ideal, if you are able."
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Karthor lays his hand on Anuril's arm.
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Anuril smiles at Kethrai.
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Ezathiel touches Hanryu and smiles, an odd but eager glint in his eyes.
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Hanryu tries desperately to catch his breath.
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Perune folds his arms across his chest.
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An almost visible connection between Ezathiel and Hanryu seems to thrum through the air.
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Anuril nods to Karthor.
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You smile at Kethrai.
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Kethrai says, "Please also join the Circle of Sympathy, add your Vela'tohr plant to the thicket if you can, and prepare with any useful spells."
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Hanryu stands near Ezathiel.
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Lupdels smiles at Kethrai.
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Kerennya touches Lupdels with a confident grace and familiar smile.
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Karthor nods to Anuril.
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Sukidesu reaches out and touches Kayena, who gasps and gives him a startled look.
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Zersha smiles at Melindrha, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
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Melindrha touches Zersha with a confident grace and heartfelt smile.
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Kerennya touches Anuril with a confident grace and familiar smile.
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Lupdels smiles at Kerennya.
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Melindrha grins.
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Kethrai says, "I recommend Gift of Life and Mental Focus to fully hone your Empathic senses. While you're doing that, please forgive some brief words from me..."
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Damiza takes off a lifelike anatomical heart carved from bloodmist garnet.
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Damiza sweeps her heart through the air with slow, contemplative gestures.
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Sukidesu gets a lapis lazuli kitten statuette with peridot eyes from inside his multi-strapped carryall.
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Ezathiel assumes a meditative stance, concentrating on something.
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Ezathiel slides a pallid ouroboros ring carved from mother of pearl off his finger.
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Ezathiel sweeps his ring through the air with slow, contemplative gestures.
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Sukidesu sweeps his statuette through the air with slow, contemplative gestures.
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Damiza's heart steadily brightens, until it burns like a glowing green torch!
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Valynn slowly empties her lungs.
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Damiza's heart fades over the course of a few seconds, returning to normal.
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Droplets of water coalesce around Kerennya's fingertips as her arms undulate like gracefully flowing river currents.
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Kethrai says, "These last several months have shown that like each of us, Elanthia herself is a living being. And that like us, she can be wounded, or suffer from sickness."
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Misteeus assumes a tense stance, concentrating on something.
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Ezathiel's ring steadily brightens, until it burns like a glowing green torch!
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Sukidesu's statuette steadily brightens, until it burns like a glowing green torch!
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Zersha looks at Melindrha and blushes.
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Sarugar gives Allye a slight nod.
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Ezathiel's ring fades over the course of a few seconds, returning to normal.
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Shaylynne ponders.
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Sukidesu's statuette fades over the course of a few seconds, returning to normal.
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Allye touches Sarugar with a confident grace and familiar smile.
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Shaylynne nods to Allye.
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Ezathiel slides a pallid ouroboros ring carved from mother of pearl onto his finger.
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Sukidesu gestures.
A vibrant white birch tree surrounded by purple blossoms rises up from the ground, its golden leaves stretching out into the air.
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Melindrha presses her palm against the bole of a vibrant white birch tree surrounded by purple blossoms, fingers splayed.
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Druid Zyros just arrived.
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Kethrai says, "The Heralds tended to her for ages untold. Now, their actions grow drastic. We must take that as a sign of how dire the danger is to Elanthia."
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As Ezathiel gestures an ethereal vela'tohr plant forms and grows before them.
The newly created plant quickly entwines with the existing thicket.
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Karthor lays his hand on Shaylynne's arm.
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Sukidesu puts his statuette in his multi-strapped carryall.
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Damiza touched her fetish.
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Kerennya gestures.
Kerennya's sturdy belt emits a loud *snap*.
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Damiza puts on a lifelike anatomical heart carved from bloodmist garnet.
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Misteeus presses his palm against the bole of a vibrant white birch tree surrounded by purple blossoms, fingers splayed.
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Kethrai says, "A gangrenous limb must be severed to save the patient from death. Healthy tissue is cut away with the rot."
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Miraena gazes at an ethereal vela'tohr thicket, clearly fascinated by the intricacies.
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Kethrai says, "A farmer who finds blighted crops must burn not just those, but a wide margin of healthy plants around them, to prevent destruction of the entire harvest."
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Elizzibiana traces a complex pattern of arcane sigils in the air around herself.
You notice a crimson-streaked steel grey aura around Elizzibiana brighten briefly, then fade to its original intensity.
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Grennet whistles a few soft, twittering notes.
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Miraena nods to Kethrai.
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Kerennya touches Zersha with a confident grace and familiar smile.
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Misteeus assumes a tense stance, concentrating on something.
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Kethrai says, "If one field's livestock are diseased, the flock's sick and healthy alike must be culled, to keep the sickness from spreading."
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Kethrai says, "In no case do the caretakers make this choice lightly. It's a last resort. Pain, to prevent ruin."
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Standing tall, Sukidesu raises his voice in a lofty chant.
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Kethrai says, "But we can do more. Empaths can heal disease without culling or amputation. Rangers can cause blighted plants to decay into compost and nourish the field."
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Kethrai says, "These are the gifts we receive and can grant in turn, with magic properly wielded. Today our Elementalists will try to do the same."
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Anuril gives a slight nod.
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Kethrai says, "Now... Relax your muscles. Breathe slowly and evenly. Imagine your body like water. Your thoughts are ripples on the surface. Allow the ripples to fade to stillness."
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Sukidesu inhales a great swallow of air.
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Karthor pops his knuckles and breathes deep, trying to look calm.
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Grennet gazes off into the distance.
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Madigan takes a sip of his coffee.
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Sukidesu slowly empties his lungs.
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Kethrai says, "As you feel thoughts or sensations coming to you, do not stop to examine them. Acknowledge them and let them travel on, through you to your partners, and we'll begin."
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Kayena closes her eyes, focusing on something.
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Allye closes her eyes for a moment and grows still.
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Kethrai nods to Lupdels.
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Lupdels smiles at Kethrai.
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Kethrai nods to you.
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Lupdels glances at you.
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You say, "Rangers, as we continue, Embed the Cycle of dragonkind into your flesh. Embrace the River in the Sky and know its course."
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Closing your eyes and concentrating intensely on the task at hand, you pore all your focus into the formulation of the River in the Sky spell.
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You notice Zersha attempting to conceal her spell preparations.
Zersha assumes a rigid stance, concentrating on something.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the Embed the Cycle spell.
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You notice Valynn attempting to conceal her spell preparations.
Valynn assumes a tense stance, concentrating on something.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the Embed the Cycle spell.
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Anuril just touched a monolith.
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You say, "Be prepared with your Gift, though to not give it yet."
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You gesture.
Slowly, the determination burning within you ebbs, the fierce pounding of your heart gradually subsiding.
Your body feels more weighty and inflexible than it did a moment before.
Your senses wrench terribly for a moment, the world seizing and tilting. Yet after the second passes, you feel far more... more. The shapeshifting magic filling you with a sense of fluidity.
>
Closing your eyes and concentrating intensely on the task at hand, you pore all your focus into the formulation of the Embed the Cycle spell.
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Hanryu licks the tip of one finger and traces a pattern in the air, as if painting upon glass.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the Embed the Cycle spell.
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You notice Lileath attempting to conceal her spell preparations.
Lileath assumes a meditative stance, concentrating on something.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the Embed the Cycle spell.
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Sarugar gestures.
Sarugar's flesh momentarily swirls, though he seems unhurt by the experience. When the magic stabilizes, his body is covered with scales of shifting color.
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You say, "Elanthia."
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Valynn gestures.
Valynn's leather belt emits a loud *snap*.
Valynn's flesh momentarily swirls, though she seems unhurt by the experience. When the magic stabilizes, her body is covered with scales of shifting color.
>
Zersha gestures.
Zersha's flesh momentarily swirls, though she seems unhurt by the experience. When the magic stabilizes, her body is covered with scales of shifting color.
>
You notice Zersha attempting to conceal her spell preparations.
Zersha assumes a rigid stance, concentrating on something.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the River in the Sky spell.
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You say, "You gave us the gift of ancient sight."
>
Hanryu gestures.
Hanryu's flesh momentarily swirls, though he seems unhurt by the experience. When the magic stabilizes, his body is covered with scales of shifting color.
>
You notice Valynn attempting to conceal her spell preparations.
Valynn assumes a tense stance, concentrating on something.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the River in the Sky spell.
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You say, "You honored us with your wisdom."
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Hanryu licks the tip of one finger and traces a pattern in the air, as if painting upon glass.
You recognize the familiar mnemonics of the River in the Sky spell.
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You feel fully prepared to cast your spell.
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You say, "We give thanks for your gift."
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Sarugar gestures.
Sarugar's body ripples, their flesh and bone swirling, in flux like water for the briefest moment.
>
>
You say, "We give these gifts of life in return."
>
Slowly, the determination burning within you ebbs, the fierce pounding of your heart gradually subsiding.
You sense the sliver of nature's strength slip away from your body and, just as quick, your flesh returns to normal.
You draw upon the essence of the natural cycle, embedding a sliver of its power into your frail body. Your flesh warps painlessly and transforms into a multi-colored coat of scales that slowly shifts in hue and pattern.
>
Lileath gestures.
Lileath's faesilk satchel emits a loud *snap*.
Lileath's flesh momentarily swirls, though she seems unhurt by the experience. When the magic stabilizes, her body is covered with scales of shifting color.
>
Hanryu gestures.
Hanryu's body ripples, their flesh and bone swirling, in flux like water for the briefest moment.
>
Zersha gestures.
Zersha's body ripples, their flesh and bone swirling, in flux like water for the briefest moment.
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Valynn gestures.
A soft crackle briefly comes from Valynn's direction.
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Valynn gazes down at the ground.
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You say, "Rangers, give your gift to Elanthia, and repeat after me. "Life is Returned. We honor the Garden."
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Sarugar lowers his head, closes his eyes and begins breathing slowly.
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Valynn gets an acorn from inside her leaf-woven pouch.
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Hanryu lowers his head, closes his eyes and begins breathing slowly.
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(Zersha gazes around the area with an appraising eye before taking a hearty desert rose cutting from one of her bags and moving to a spot well off the main trail.)
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(Waydren bends to one knee and digs a shallow hole in which he plants a small oak seed. With care, Waydren gently smooths the dirt back over the hole.)
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You say, "Life is Returned. We honor the Garden."
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(Kayena plants several apple seeds in a small divot she digs out with her hands and pats the soil over the top of them.)
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(Zersha sinks gracefully to her knees, the colorful scarfs that make up her skirt creating a rainbow puddle around her.)
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Sarugar's image wavers momentarily as if he will fade from sight, but after just a few seconds, he stabilizes.
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Zersha kneels down.
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Anuril smiles.
>
(Sarugar silently crouches down, placing one hand on the ground and digging his fingers into the earth. He inhales deeply, and his whole body slumps with a slow exhale as if taking on some great burden. After a moment, he pushes off the ground and unsteadily rises again.)
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Kayena says, "Life is Returned. We honor the Garden."
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(Shaylynne tosses some wildflower seeds into the air to be carried on the wind and root freely where they land.)
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You notice Zyros attempting to conceal his spell preparations.
Zyros traces a careful sigil in the air.
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Lupdels observes Katriwen with fascination.
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You continue to feel an uncanny confidence, bolstered by Casari's fearlessness.
>
Lupdels glances up at the sky.
After a few moments he lowers his gaze.
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Sarugar quietly says, "Life is returned. We honor the garden."
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(Valynn sprinkles a little draught on the acorn)
>
(Hanryu strikes his clenched fist onto the flat granite. Hanryu's eyes go wide, and he doubles over, gasping for breath! An intense look of shock quickly passes, leaving him dazed and appearing confused.)
>
Hanryu's image wavers momentarily as if he will fade from sight, but after just a few seconds, he stabilizes.
>
Allye smiles.
>
(Zersha uses her hands to dig out a small hole in the ground. She then grabs a handful of sand from a pouch and sprinkles it inside before adding the propagation shoot and gently patting the mixture of dirt and sand around it.)
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Shaylynne says, "Life is Returned. We honor the garden."
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Hanryu weakly says, ""Life is Returned. We honor the Garden."
>
As your Skein of Shadows disperses you notice that even your simple movements seem needlessly tumultuous.
>smile han
You smile at Hanryu.
>
Grennet says, "Life is Returned." Stopping for a moment, he inhales deeply before continuing,"We honor the Garden."
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Valynn puts her draught in her leaf-woven pouch.
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You say, "Elanthia."
>
(Zersha takes a small container containing a blend of water and nutrients and pours it in a precise circle around the tiny planted bloom to give it a chance to grow.)
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You say, "You were wounded here where terrible magics were wrought."
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You say, "Reveal your wounds to those who mean to mend them."
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You say, "Draw our attention to where healing will help the most."
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Valynn says, "Life is Returned. We honor the garden."
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(Zersha bows her head, a few of her dark curls falling across her shoulders and face as she mutters a soft prayer to Elanthia to nurture and protect the small seedling.)
>
Aerilia tilts her head to one side.
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You say, "We Beseech you to Guide Lupdels, Sorrow Seeker."
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You say, "We Beseech you to Guide Anuril, Aether Weaver."
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Zersha softly says, "Life is Returned. We honor the Garden."
>
Lupdels inhales a great swallow of air.
>
You say to Lupdels, "To you, Sorrow Seeker."
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Anuril nods.
>
(Lileath Lileath kneels down and once she finds the right spot makes a small divot in the soil. She teases an ivy tendril from the edge of her lifesculpted tunic and then gently places its root into the soil, returning it to Elanthia.)
>
Lupdels says, "We each prepare in our own way."
>
(Valynn digs a small hole and places the acorn it it. She then covers the acorn with some dirt and tamps it down.)
>
Lupdels says, "I have cast on myself Echoes of Aether to further my attunement to Aether. Instilling in myself the very essence of Aether."
>
Miraena observes Lupdels with fascination.
>
Lupdels inhales a great swallow of air.
>
Allye gazes at Lupdels.
>
(Sukidesu holds his hand firmly on Kayena's shoulder as he supports her)
>
Anuril stands near Lupdels.
>
Lupdels says, "For Bards, Othersight is like listening to the sound of the Aether. Feeling it within you, feeling it without you. Reverberating across the area."
>
Casari stands near Lupdels.
>
Lupdels hums to himself.
>
Lupdels says, "Aether is foundational to all things. Picking out just the Aether is like focusing on a single instrument played among an orchestra."
>
(Lupdels continues a few lonely hums, pausing in between, searching for a response.)
>
Lupdels says, "Listening."
>
You continue to feel an uncanny confidence, bolstered by Casari's fearlessness.
>
At the edges of your perception, you find your connection to Elanthia still lingering, as if it never truly left you. A sense of a pure, verdant, serene planet surrounds you, and your vision slowly adjusts. You see yourself at the foot of a tall lifesculpted spire that crosses two strong-moving rivers, in a glade encircled by a tall canopy of trees. The form of a large orange dragon settles at the base of the spire, towering over you, before hunching itself low, twisting and shifting until it resembles a feminine humanoid form. She walks toward where you stand, as if aware of your presence, and pauses thoughtfully. Your gaze looks down, and you see two small hands. She plants a hand on the crest of your forehead, and whispers words that are not audible -- and yet you know them. "You will be one of my Gardeners."
>
(Casari begins to quietly hum after Lupdels, first following his tones and then weaving a delicate counterpoint.)
>
Lupdels inhales a great swallow of air.
>
Allye gazes off into the distance.
>
Aerilia furrows her brow.
>
You gasp!
>
Katriwen hums to herself.
>
Zersha inhales a great swallow of air.
>
Lupdels says, "Hearing ..."
>
Anuril nods to Lupdels.
>
Anuril gazes off into the distance.
>
Saragos nods.
>
Melindrha shivers.
>
At her touch, the world twists, and shapes before you. In moments, you experience flickers of memories and experiences. You find yourself shaping creation to your whim, gesturing and twisting nature into an elegant, harmonious design, but find yourself depleted each time -- a gnawing hunger filling your being, as you pull from each available mana stream and exhaust its limitations. Years -- decades -- centuries pass in moments, and yet you find that hunger welling deeper and deeper with each use -- insatiable and endless. You reach to broader areas for mana, and are more selective as time passes, but the hunger does not abate.
>
Lupdels says, "A faint hiss ..."
>
Miraena raises an eyebrow.
>
Allye trills, her ears relaxing minutely back against her head.
>
Asildu appears to be listening intently for something.
>
Kerennya blinks.
>
Saragos says, "The hiss seems to be normal for Othersight. Means it's working."
>
Ezathiel raises an eyebrow.
>
Zersha gnaws on her lip.
>
(Lupdels plucks tentatively at his sparkling goldwood mandolin with cambrinth fleur-de-lis inlay with a cambrinth pick, trying to match a note that only he seems to hear.)
>
You say, "We are seeing a vision once more..."
>
Ezerak nibbles his lip thoughtfully.
>
Focusing on the hunger, you discover that the only fulfilment you can achieve is by consuming raw, pure mana in immense quantity. In time, you find the thread of new streams of mana just beyond your reach. You call to it, and it does not answer -- and yet the hunger grows, as does your desperation. It takes painful ages, but in that time, you discover a way to grasp that mana -- by pulling something new inside the paradise. Your senses are overwhelmed as you reach out, deliberately slicing into the knitted strands that protect the plane, and force the new threads of mana through, building a new weave. In this moment, you feel more powerful than ever -- and the hunger is sated.
>
You say, "Lupdels, continue what you are doing."
>
Anuril quietly says, "Gauge Flow may be helpful for those who know the spell."
>
Miraena nibbles her lip thoughtfully.
>
Zersha shivers.
>
Lupdels says, "Listening ..."
>
Boundless creation followed, and you found yourself pushing each of your limits. Time speeds up as you watch creation become even more intricate. And yet -- time slows until you can focus on a single feeling -- a single moment inside a single vision. The humanoid has returned. Again, you do not understand her words, but you instinctually are familiar with her meaning -- rejection. Failure. With another touch, you are unmade, and in that moment, you become acutely aware that you are accused of poisoning the purity of this world. In the unmaking, your consciousness becomes attached to a speck of dirt inside a beam of light beneath the canopy that surrounds a now-withering spire, helpless to watch as your creations slowly are undone as a consequence of your actions inside a null prison for what appears to be an eternity.
>
Allye blinks.
>
Zersha blinks.
>
You ask, "...I...what?"
>
Shaylynne frowns.
>
You watch from the outside as the humanoid crafts a new being -- similar to the one you experienced, except fundamentally different in one fundamental purpose. Where you had experienced the memories of a Gardener, these new creations warded against the fear of rot. Again, you experience time pass in epochs as Elanthia would, watching the verdant glory tarnish, fade, and wilt, and with a feeling of dread, you cannot help but know that something has been beckoned through. You feel pain as war ravages the planet, and time slows to one horrible moment -- when hundreds of these new creations are locked in battle with an incomprehensible outside force. In a flash, one invokes words that have terrible meaning -- and at the expense of the verdant life, it rends everything you consider beautiful into a desiccated wasteland, leaving innumerable creators and their creations joining the soul of the planet. Your vision abruptly returns to normal, leaving you disoriented.
>
Anuril observes you with fascination.
>
Miraena turns her eyes questioningly towards Asildu.
>
(Lupdels returns to a low hum and allows himself to sway back and forth.)
>
Zersha falls backwards from her seat and passes out!
>
Xionara softly says, "Interesting."
>
You frown.
>
Anuril quietly asks you, "What was it?"
>
Ezathiel pleasantly says, "Hm."
>
You say to Anuril, "I'm not sure yet."
>
Lupdels says, "An ancient battle ..."
>
Kethrai gazes off into the distance.
>
Asildu ponders.
>
Illiya ponders.
>
Aerilia frowns in thought.
>
You say, "I don't know what to think of what I saw."
>
Ezerak asks, "What did you see?"
>
Xionara softly says, "Tell, maybe ourselves make sense of it."
>
You ask Anuril, "I say we continue. What say you?"
>
Ezerak gazes at you.
>
Anuril says, "The aether looks... healthy, as far as I can tell."
>
Anuril frowns.
>
Madigan says, "Maybe just for holy magic users, but we felt a warmth in our soul from the Immortals."
>
(Zersha draws her knees up against her chest and hugs them, trying to work through what she saw.)
>
Hanryu rubs his head.
>
Lupdels says, "But there is something here, or was something here ..."
>
Anuril says, "Nowhere in particular looks damaged."
>
Valynn nods to you.
>
Asildu rests a comforting hand on Miraena's shoulder.
>
Kerennya says, "It almost seems like a sickness or addiction."
>
Lupdels says, "Hundreds, thousands died against the dead and demons."
>
Miraena frowns.
>
Anuril gives Saragos a slight nod.
>
Anuril blinks at Lupdels.
>
You raise an eyebrow in Lupdels's direction.
>
Lupdels says, "Humanity at the beginning of an age of heroism ..."
>
Lupdels says, "Songs, there are songs of this."
>
Anuril observes Lupdels with fascination.
>
The shifting winds blowing from behind Zyros die down.
>
Valynn quietly says to herself, "I must meditate on that."
>
You ask, "Did the Bards receive a Vision?"
>
Madigan rubs Valynn gently, massaging her muscles.
>
Zersha nods at Valynn, obviously agreeing with her views.
>
Azume nods to you.
>
Damiza asks, "The vision I just saw, I looked down to see two small hands and a large orange dragon plants a hand on the crest of my forehead and said I'd be one of her Gardeners. Did anyone else vision that?"
>
Asildu trembles slightly as he draws in a breath, the air around him momentarily charged with a gentle thrum of energy that slowly disperses upon his exhale.
>
(Lupdels continues to hum notes, they make up a song but none you recognize.)
>
You nod to Damiza.
>
Kethrai nods to Damiza.
>
Damiza nods.
>
Kerennya says, "I saw that one, Damiza."
>
You notice as a white dog looks upward negligently.
>
Ezathiel pleasantly says, "I did Damiza."
>
Kethrai quietly says, "That's how it began..."
>
Valynn nods to Damiza.
>
Saragos says, "Don't know what the rest of you saw, but the Aetheric lattice *does* repair itself over time."
>
Xionara nods to Saragos.
>
You nod to Saragos.
>
Anuril quietly says, "I saw nothing but the ebb and flow of the aether, seemingly undamaged."
>
Saragos says, "There can have been a rift in the past, and it closed up now. Only the big ones stay."
>
You ask Saragos, "Did you see what the Bards saw?"
>
Leustyin says, "I didn't see anything of note."
>
Golameth says to you, "I didn't see nuffin, you all are crazy."
>
Lupdels says, "I saw an ancient battle, a place that time has forgotten."
>
Anuril nods to Saragos.
>
Madigan grins at Golameth.
>
Casari nods at Lupdels, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Saragos says to you, "I saw the area through Othersight, and I didn't see anything worth repairing. Don't know what the Bards saw - their perception is usually a bit different."
>
Anuril nods at Saragos, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "This location was not chosen as an optimal point for sorcerous casting due to any particular planar weakness."
>
Lupdels says, "If this area is healed now, it may still have ... remnants of the past."
>
Hanryu quietly says to Golameth, "This much has been established long ago, but we soldier on regardless."
>
Anuril gazes thoughtfully at Liraxes.
>
Kethrai says, "And one who betrayed the garden, and was doomed to watch it, separate from it..."
>
Lupdels gazes about, drinking in his surroundings.
>
You nod to Lupdels.
>
Saragos nods to Lupdels.
>
Karthor strokes his beard in thoughtful contemplation.
>
Allye says, "Doomed to watch all of their work undone."
>
Allye frowns.
>
Anuril observes Allye with fascination.
>
Lupdels glances at Liraxes.
>
You smile.
>
Allye says, "I cannot parse... who I was. Whose eyes I was seeing through."
>
You nod at Allye, in complete agreement with her views.
>
Allye says, "So disorienting."
>
Allye rubs her head.
>
Shaylynne nods to Allye.
>
You ask, "While it appears there was no wound to mend, there was yet again another vision of...the past?"
>
Zersha nods at Allye, obviously agreeing with her views.
>
Kayena stands up.
>
Anuril ponders.
>
Allye nods to you.
>
Shaylynne says, "That hunger was uncomfortable."
>
Shaylynne shifts her weight.
>
Illiya asks, "Was it the Sraan Mehath?"
>
(Zersha uncurls from around herself and taking a deep breath climbs back to her feet.)
>
Zersha rises to her feet fluidly, like a large, graceful cat.
>
Lupdels says, "I believe Elanthia holds a deep memory, and when we listen we can hear her stories."
>
Damiza appears to be listening intently for something.
>
Karthor nods at Shaylynne, obviously agreeing with her views.
>
Valynn nods to Shaylynne.
>
Allye looks thoughtfully at Illiya.
>
Saragos leans over and whispers, "Said this to Anuril too. Based on what I saw, I wouldn't start weaving Aether - you'll probably just make an Aether anomaly. But I'm not always right, and I'm not trying to order you around."
>
Lupdels glances at Illiya.
>
Kethrai says to Illiya, "I don't think it was. It was a battle between some that were... chosen, created, by the Dragon, and some singular outside force."
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "Running calculations of enhanced sorcerous casting in various locations showed a slightly greater probability of an acceptable outcome from this location."
>
You say, "Here is what was witnessed:"
>
You say, "At the edges of my perception, I find my connection to Elanthia still lingering, as if it never truly left it. A sense of a pure, verdant, serene planet surrounds me, and my vision slowly adjusts. I see myself at the foot of a tall lifesculpted spire that crosses two strong-moving rivers, in a glade encircled by a tall canopy of trees. The form of a large orange dragon settles at the base of the spire, towering over me, before hunching itself low, twisting and shifting until it resembles a feminine humanoid form. She walks toward where I stand, as if aware of my presence, and pauses thoughtfully. My gaze looks down, and I see two small hands. She plants a hand on the crest of my forehead, and whispers words that are not audible -- and yet I know them. "I will be one of my Gardeners."
>
Ezerak acts puzzled.
>
Sukidesu says, "I'm not sure what to make of this."
>
A subtle thrum of energy begins to gather around Asildu, pulsing once... twice... three times in succession before dispersing once again into the nothingness from whence it came.
>
Illiya asks Kethrai, "The one horrible moment where words were invoked with terrible meaning?"
>
Allye glances at Asildu.
>
Aerilia glances at Asildu.
>
Kethrai nods to Illiya.
>
Lupdels says to Kethrai, "I saw one side with dead and demons."
>
You say, "At her touch, the world twists, and shapes before me. In moments, I experience flickers of memories and experiences. I find myself shaping creation to your whim, gesturing and twisting nature into an elegant, harmonious design, but find myself depleted each time -- a gnawing hunger filling your being, as I pull from each available mana stream and exhaust its limitations. Years -- decades -- centuries pass in moments, and yet I find that hunger welling deeper and deeper with each use -- insatiable and I reach to broader areas for mana, and are more selective as time passes, but the hunger does not abate."
>
Asildu inhales a great swallow of air.
>
Asildu slowly empties his lungs.
>
Miraena smiles at Asildu.
>
Anuril blinks at Asildu.
>
You say, "Focusing on the hunger, I discover that the only fulfilment I can achieve is by consuming raw, pure mana in immense quantity. In time, I find the thread of new streams of mana just beyond my reach. I call to it, and it does not answer -- and yet the hunger grows, as does my desperation. It takes painful ages, but in that time, I discover a way to grasp that mana -- by pulling something new inside the paradise. My senses are overwhelmed as I reach out, deliberately slicing into the knitted strands that protect the plane, and force the new threads of mana through, building a new weave. In this moment, I feel more powerful than ever -- and the hunger is sated."
>
Damiza asks, "I missed something. Why are there a bunch of glances and glares at that guy?"
>
Damiza points at Asildu.
>
Zersha asks Damiza, "Didn't you feel that thrum?"
>
Allye quietly asks Asildu, "Are you well?"
>
Anuril frowns.
>
Asildu nods to Allye.
>
Lupdels smiles at Damiza.
>
Asildu says to Allye, "As... well as I can be, I believe."
>
Damiza says, "Oh, I may have misinterpreted the feelings of the land focusing on the time at hand."
>
You say, "Boundless creation followed, and I found myself pushing each of your limits. Time speeds up as I watch creation become even more intricate. And yet -- time slows until I can focus on a single feeling -- a single moment inside a single vision. The humanoid has returned. Again, I do not understand her words, but I instinctually are familiar with her meaning -- rejection. Failure. With another touch, I are unmade, and in that moment, I become acutely aware that you are accused of poisoning the purity of this world. In the unmaking, my consciousness becomes attached to a speck of dirt inside a beam of light beneath the canopy that surrounds a now-withering spire, helpless to watch as my creations slowly are undone as a consequence of my actions inside a null prison for what appears to be an eternity."
>
Allye nods to Asildu.
>
Misteeus says, "This hunger feels like it lead to the beginnings of sorcery."
>
Asildu nods politely to Allye.
>
Asildu says to Allye, "Thank you for inquiring."
>
Miraena gently pats Asildu on the arm, with familiarity.
>
Allye nods politely.
>
Casari's voice grows deeper, hovering at the edge of her register. As she completes each phrase the notes hang on the air, blending together in a wraith-like array of sound.
>
Damiza nods to Kerennya.
>
You say, "I watch from the outside as the humanoid crafts a new being -- similar to the one I experienced, except fundamentally different in one fundamental purpose. Where I had experienced the memories of a Gardener, these new creations warded against the fear of rot. Again, I experience time pass in epochs as Elanthia would, watching the verdant glory tarnish, fade, and wilt, and with a feeling of dread, I cannot help but know that something has been beckoned through. I feel pain as war ravages the planet, and time slows to one horrible moment -- when hundreds of these new creations are locked in battle with an incomprehensible outside force. In a flash, one invokes words that have terrible meaning -- and at the expense of the verdant life, it rends everything you consider beautiful into a desiccated wasteland, leaving innumerable creators and their creations joining the soul of the planet."
>
Ezathiel appears calmer than he did a moment ago.
>
You say, "That was the extent of the vision I saw."
>
Miraena observes you with fascination.
>
Asildu ponders.
>
Malorna says, "Saw the same."
>
Lupdels takes a deep breath.
>
Malorna nods to you.
>
Sukidesu nods in agreement.
>
Saragos says, "Well, that's something."
>
Lupdels nods to Saragos.
>
Illiya grins at Saragos, her dimples flashing into view.
>
Saragos says, "What I saw was much simpler."
>
Shaylynne nods.
>
Lupdels chuckles.
>
Anuril smirks.
>
Leustyin gestures.
>
Saragos says to you, "I reached out to probe the mana streams, searching for the Aether that knits the Plane of Abiding together. Shifting, brilliant radiance overwhelmed my senses, twisting and ensconcing my entire surroundings. The weave of Aether kinked and furled before me in familiar ways, ebbing and flowing like a knitted tide that covers as far as the eye can see, with no new gaps or bare threads that were glaringly obvious to my senses. A faint hiss built, a steady static that built with a pressure."
>
Kethrai quietly says, "It wasn't me and yet I feel the pang of shame for having felt it."
>
Ezerak says to Asildu, "What do you make of it? It certainly sounds related to the Heralds."
>
Katriwen quietly says, "Yes, the Bards saw... or remembered, I guess. An ancient battle, with demons and the dead, one we have songs of...But they slipped away, I can't remember what it was. Need to go look in some books."
>
Kentara smirks at Grennet.
>
Asildu says to Ezerak, "I will have to think on it. My... thoughts have been a bit muddled, of late. But Miraena has... convinced me that the time for sharing knowledge draws near."
>
Miraena whispers something to Zersha.
>
Lupdels nods to Katriwen.
>
Miraena smiles at Zersha.
>
Zersha smiles at Miraena, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
>
Allye trills softly at Katriwen.
>
Aerilia raises an eyebrow.
>
Kethrai gazes at Asildu.
>
Karthor strokes his beard in thoughtful contemplation.
>
Miraena nods at Asildu, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Valynn gazes down at the ground.
>
Zersha whispers something to Miraena.
>
You say, "I must confess abject confusion at what was shown."
>
Kethrai asks, "Draws near...?"
>
Madigan says, "This may have just come to holy mana wielders, but I sensed:."
>
Trajan says to Asildu, "'Let's hope you share knowledge differently than you share lessons."
>
Anuril observes Madigan with fascination.
>
Illiya gazes at Madigan.
>
Valynn gazes at Madigan.
>
You raise an eyebrow in Madigan's direction.
>
Sukidesu glances at Madigan.
>
Madigan says, "A warm inspiration of my soul, conforted by the Immortals shepherded me to this point."
>
Kethrai says, "If you have knowledge that's relevant, might have been time to share it a while ago..."
>
Anuril ponders.
>
Miraena chuckles.
>
Karthor says to Kethrai, "Does any o' that seem an awful lot like that old document found describin' the Empaths of Old to you? Somethin' startin' what mustn't be allowed, someone bein' cast out..."
>
Damiza ponders.
>
Anuril asks, "Does that original creation, servant, entity still exist, I wonder?"
>
Trajan nods to Madigan.
>
Madigan says, "Who knows that that bloody means."
>
You smile at Madigan.
>
Zersha asks Karthor, "Empaths of old?"
>
Saragos says to you, "Sounds like one of those visions we'll have to parse the accounts of line-by-line. Been doing that a lot lately."
>
Trajan says, "I felt the same as Madigan."
>
Lupdels says, "Stories of someone being cast out are a tale as old as time ..."
>
Lupdels frowns.
>
You nod at Saragos, in complete agreement with his views.
>
Valynn gazes at Karthor.
>
You say to Saragos, "Indeed."
>
Allye says to Anuril, "Trapped in a null prison, all this time..."
>
Allye frowns.
>
Anuril frowns at Allye.
>
Anuril nods.
>
Melindrha glances at Karthor.
>
Kethrai says to Karthor, "It does bear some resemblance, but the stories are so... scattered, and fractional."
>
Karthor nods in agreement.
>
Melindrha says, "I thought I was the only one who suspected them as an issue."
>
Madigan gestures.
A dull orange glow settles around him.
>
You ask, "Friends. My appreciation for adhering to the Dragon's Peace. You came in peace, depart in peace as well. I believe we will see nothing more tonight from...Elanthia...?"
>
Asildu says to Kethrai, "We believed we had, but it seems more detail is necessary. Young Miraena is working on the arrangements for something more... formal."
>
Melindrha sighs.
>
Anuril bows to you.
>
Melindrha stands up.
>
Miraena smiles.
>
Miraena hitches up the waistband of her workman's pants.
>
Zersha smiles at Miraena, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
>
Madigan asks, "You done with your gathering Waydren?"
>
Shaylynne nods to you.
>
Lupdels smiles at Miraena.
>
Damiza raises an eyebrow in Asildu's direction.
>look
[Eik Wood, Granite Outcroppings]
A smooth, sloping granite outcropping, like a monolith fallen and half buried, stands as a gate between familiar ground and the forest beyond. With the momentum of a trot it is an easy climb up and over to the forest trail. You also see an acorn, a violet grotto monkey, a vibrant white birch tree surrounded by purple blossoms, an ethereal vela'tohr thicket, a red chestnut horse and a white dog (sitting).
Also here: Khozh Elizzibiana, Wound Bearer Tsisis, Wind Listener Sceth, Niliaevat Raesh Isen Malorna, Leviathan Friend Lupdels, Mage Slayer Golameth, Druid Zyros, Cultivator Shaylynne, Perune, Sir Madigan, Sothios, Soul Surgeon Zynell (sitting), Mageling Aerilia, Black Fox Xionara, Hunter Hanryu, Serial Killer Damiza, Strawberry Nurse Illiya, Breath of the Heralds Asildu, Messenger Miraena, Forest Sprite Lileath, Steward of Recursion Liraxes, Lord Knight Hebion, Ezathiel, Cateress Allye, Blight Sealer Sarugar, Funeral Director Leustyin, Bioexorcist Karthor, Mountain Lord Ezerak, Macabre Katriwen, Observer Eyuve, Life Weaver Ysilda, Knight Errant Trajan, Maiyara, Sayase, Valynn, Sublime Mender Kerennya, Stellar Statistician Urbaj, Shadow's Touch Melindrha, Grennet, Musical Enthusiast Kentara, Desert Dancer Zersha, Tempest Knight Saragos, Pack Sister Kayena, War Healer Misteeus, Heart Tender Kethrai, Veteran Apprentice Anuril, Enelne's Daughter Azume (kneeling), Doctor of Kittens Sukidesu, Firehawk Casari and Sofina.
Obvious paths: southwest.
Room Number: 1973
Room Exits: climb monolith
>
Zersha quietly says to Miraena, "If you need any help, I am willing."
>
Miraena beams at Zersha!
>
You say to Madigan, "We are concluded. Heed the Dragon's Peace until all depart, though."
>
Sarugar quietly says to you, "A most curious and concerning sight."
>
You nod to Sarugar.
>
Ezathiel pleasantly says, "Safe paths all."
>
Madigan puts his gyre in his traveler's pack.
>
Miraena says to Zersha, "I'm afraid that some of you who have truly listened will be hearing much of the same. But we hope to try again, since it is so important."
>
Ezathiel strolls southwest.
>
Grennet goes southwest.
>
Hanryu shakes Ezerak's hand.
>
Shaylynne left the group.
>
(Valynn again tamps down the hole where the acorn is buried.)
>
Madigan grunts at you.
>
Misteeus left the group.
>
Zersha says to Miraena, "It's important, perhaps whatever your friend has to share will be enough to sway others finally."
>
Madigan gets a mug of roasted coffee from inside his traveler's pack.
>
Damiza left the group.
>
Miraena smiles at Valynn.
>
You smile at Madigan.
>
Hanryu just left.
>
Raising his roasted coffee to you, Madigan gives you a toast. Cheers!
After Event Log
Anuril smiles at Valynn.
>
Madigan takes a sip of his coffee.
>
Shadow Tracker Sliyder just arrived.
>
Sarugar gives a slight nod.
Asildu nods.
>
Valynn rises to her feet fluidly, like a large, graceful cat.
>
Musical Enthusiast Kentara just arrived.
>
Hanryu comes out of the shadows and slowly opens his eyes.
>
Blight Sealer Sarugar goes southwest.
>
Sofina asks Liraxes, "Impressive machine you've built. What is your next step?"
>
Damiza ponders.
>
Valynn nods to Miraena.
>
Saragos asks Liraxes, "You've spoken of pursuing the Balance, but you've focused more on Sorcery. Do you anticipate any points in Elanthia that might need shoring up, as this gathering was attempting to do, in your plan?"
>
Miraena quietly says to Valynn, "You have the markings of a farmer with how well you planted that."
>
Miraena nods to Valynn.
>
Shadow Tracker Sliyder goes southwest.
>
Shadow Tracker Sliyder just arrived.
>
Water is quickly puddling on the ground nearby, but two spots in the shape of feet or shoes remain strangely dry.
>
You say, "Anuril. Kethrai. Lupdels. My appreciation for your efforts."
>
Valynn grins at Miraena.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "The next phase of construction in the device is nearly complete. Roughly another andu remaining."
>
Anuril nods to you.
>
Lupdels smiles at you.
>
Anuril smiles.
>
Damiza nods.
>
Lupdels says, "I am most befuddled."
>
Xionara nods to Liraxes.
>
You nod at Lupdels, in complete agreement with his views.
>
Casari nods at Lupdels, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Sofina smiles at Zersha.
>
Saragos touches a rustic cigarillo with a glowing finger, and it quickly catches fire.
>
Kethrai nods at Lupdels, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Saragos puffs on his rustic cigarillo.
>
You say to Lupdels, "I as well. Thoroughly."
>
Karthor asks, "One o' these times we'll gain more answers than questions, eh?"
>
Khozh Elizzibiana hobbles southwest.
>
Zersha giggles at Sofina.
>
Karthor chuckles.
>
Sukidesu says to Asildu, "Though I still don't agree with your stance on sorcery, I have removed my Bless tattoo for the time being so as to not accidentally use it."
>
Shaylynne nods at Karthor, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "This will allow the functionality for recording sentiment regarding the casting of sorcery, to better determine what steps going forward will be viable."
>
Madigan gets a pale avaes runestone from inside his traveler's pack.
>
You nod to Karthor.
>
Madigan touches a pale avaes runestone and closes his eyes in concentration.
You notice Madigan attempting to conceal his spell preparations.
Madigan bows his head and chants a mantra.
>
Madigan puts his runestone in his traveler's pack.
>
Anuril asks you, "We may have gotten our first glimpse of our... true quarry?"
>
The air around Asildu shimmers with a weak yellow light that quickly disperses.
>
Kethrai says to Karthor, "Seems familiar lately."
>
Tiny puffs of smoke rise from Saragos's rustic cigarillo as it burns.
>
Asildu nods to Sukidesu.
>
Valynn says to Miraena, "My mother was a great gardener."
>
Water is quickly puddling on the ground nearby, but two spots in the shape of feet or shoes remain oddly dry.
>
Miraena beams at Valynn!
>
You grin at Anuril.
>
Allye nods to Zersha.
>
Saragos takes a long drag off of a burning rustic cigarillo.
>
Karthor nods at Kethrai, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Aerilia nods to Liraxes.
>
Saragos allows a line of smoke to rise from his mouth. The scent of Copperleaf follows the image.
>
Damiza ponders.
>
Zersha beams at Allye!
>
Valynn dusts herself off.
>
Damiza gets some nilos ungent from a dark green gardener's apron studded with bronze rivets.
>
Damiza begins to carefully examine some nilos ungent.
>
Asildu says to Sukidesu, "The sentiment is appreciated and valuable to those of this world."
>
Valynn furrows her brow.
>
Kethrai says to Anuril, "I didn't get the sense that the being in the vision was malicious, but that it caused harm all the same. Harm to the world that can't be undone..."
>
Sukidesu nods to Asildu.
>
Lupdels says, "Is our quarry the humanoid or the .. other entity."
>
Miraena says to Valynn, "I have had the pleasure of meeting a few adventurers now who had gardener or farmer family. It makes me feel a little more at home."
>
Miraena curtsies to Valynn.
>
Lupdels nods.
>
Illiya asks Liraxes, "Interesting.. so if there proves to be significant opposition to sorcery, there may be another way to achieve balance?"
>
Valynn quietly says to Madigan, "I need some quiet to contemplate what I just saw."
>
Saragos asks Liraxes, "But do you think pursuing the Balance will require anything but Sorcery? Or will shoring up some parts of the Plane of Abiding be necessary too?"
>
Madigan bows to Valynn.
>
Valynn smiles at Miraena.
>
Kethrai nods at Miraena, obviously agreeing with her views.
>
You nod to Valynn.
>
Anuril says to Kethrai, "We felt a hunger for mana, specifically, that only grew over time."
>
Miraena grins at Kethrai.
>
Madigan says, "Thanks Val. As always, top notch work."
>
Kethrai nods at Anuril, obviously agreeing with his views.
>
Saragos takes a long drag off of a burning rustic cigarillo.
>
You grasp Valynn's hand in a firm grip. With a casual nod and a knowing smile, you place your other hand upon Valynn's shoulder. In a silent moment you recognize the tribulations Valynn has gone through and take solace from them.
>
Saragos exhales some tobacco smoke. Mild and warm, the scent hangs in the air with a coppery smoke.
>
Allye nods to Anuril.
>
Xionara mutters something into the air about the Hunger.
>
Xionara scratches one ear, looking bemused.
>
Valynn quietly says to Miraena, "Many of us come to the ranger guild wanting to protect the forests."
>
Karthor strokes his beard in thoughtful contemplation.
>
Anuril quietly says, "Well, I didn't feel, someone felt."
>
Kethrai holds a single finger up to his closed lips and gives his head a slight shake while leveling a firm stare at Xionara.
>
Valynn nods to Madigan.
>
Shaylynne nods at Valynn, obviously agreeing with her views.
>
Miraena nods at Valynn, obviously agreeing with her views.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "Sorcerous casting is the direct method for attempting to address the imbalance. However, other actions may still increase the probability of some form of acceptable outcome. They may be less likely, or less optimal in results."
>
Kethrai quietly says to Xionara, "Don't even speak a possibility like that into being..."
>
Valynn takes your hand in a firm grip. With a nod and a smile, Valynn places her other hand upon your shoulder. An expression of pride gleams in Valynn's eyes.
>
Xionara nods to Liraxes.
>
Saragos nods to Liraxes.
>
Valynn places a hand on her chest and bows her head.
>
Asildu gazes at Liraxes.
>
Valynn pulls the hood of her shroud up.
>
Miraena says to Valynn, "I hope I get to visit the Ranger Guild in Crossing sometime soon. There is much work yet to be done, but hopefully we will make enough progress that we have more free time."
>
Valynn goes southwest.
>
Valynn just arrived.
>
Illiya asks Liraxes, "Are you able to say what other type of actions may have an effect?"
>
Shaylynne says to Valynn, "That vision was a dream turned nightmare watching it all collapse."
>
Holy Vengeance Imroth just arrived.
>
Shaylynne shudders.
>
Allye nods to Shaylynne.
>
Valynn nods in agreement.
>
Saragos's rustic cigarillo glows faintly as it burns down.
>
Kethrai nods to Shaylynne.
>
Lupdels says, "A lord hires a Gardener to tend the estate. The Gardener is eager, even hungry. They work the land, they increase production, they tear down forests, drain swamps. They are hungry. When the lord returns, they are sad. The Gardener is fired, but manages to still watch."
>
Lupdels tugs at the tip of his beard distractedly.
>
Valynn says to Miraena, "Kalika is welcoming to all."
>
Miraena beams at Valynn!
>
Valynn smiles.
>
Saragos puffs on his rustic cigarillo.
>
Asildu looks over Liraxes very closely.
>
Valynn hoots, sounding remarkably like a real owl.
>
Saragos's rustic cigarillo glows faintly as it burns down.
>
Valynn goes southwest.
>
Sliyder glances at Asildu.
>
Illiya looks over Liraxes very closely.
>
Miraena glances at Asildu.
>
Kayena pats a red chestnut horse's neck.
>
Forest Sprite Lileath goes southwest.
>
Miraena glances at Liraxes.
>
Imroth smirks at Asildu.
>
Shaylynne raises an eyebrow in Illiya's direction.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "Many of them require considerable precision, and Liraxes has been engaged in some of those activities for the slight improvement. The placement of specific objects in specific places, as an example."
>
Shaylynne looks over Liraxes very closely.
>
Damiza puts her almanac in her wyvern skull.
>
Allye says, "Did the Gardener tear down the forests, or build them up too high? And then was forced to watch them burn."
>
Allye nibbles her lip thoughtfully.
>
Lazy curls of smoke drift off of Saragos's rustic cigarillo.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says, "For activities requiring less precision, Liraxes will provide information on them as they are identified."
>
Illiya nods to Liraxes.
>
Imroth's rage dissipates.
>
Aerilia nods to Liraxes.
>
Lupdels says to Allye, "Well in the visions they were hungry and pushed beyond the limits imposed on them. Which I believe was wrong."
>
Xionara blinks.
>
Miraena quietly says to Asildu, "Many adventurers have asked me about this Liraxes. I admit I don't understand half of what he is saying."
>
Miraena blushes a bright red color.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says to Saragos, "Your message was received."
>
Asildu nods to Miraena.
>
Anuril snorts, loudly.
>
Anuril grins at Miraena.
>
Asildu chuckles to himself.
>
Anuril nods.
>
Shaylynne says to Lupdels, "It felt like greed..."
>
Saragos nods to Liraxes.
>
Shaylynne ponders.
>
Lupdels nods to Shaylynne.
>
Kethrai nods to Shaylynne.
>
Kerennya says to Miraena, "It is alright. He is a creature of math."
>
Saragos asks Liraxes, "Was just about to ask that. Do you have a response yet?"
>
Allye nods to Shaylynne.
>
Asildu says, "A curious thing, indeed."
>
Perune laughs!
>
Saragos puffs on his rustic cigarillo.
>
Lazy curls of smoke drift off of Saragos's rustic cigarillo.
>
Illiya asks Lupdels, "Do you think the perspective we experienced the vision from was a Herald?"
>
Lupdels says, "Greed, hunger, exceeding limits. Becoming more powerful. Building things that should not be built ..."
>
Liraxes tonelessly says to Saragos, "Liraxes is unable to assist with modification of the enchantment in question. The proposed change might be possible, but not without the Defiler present."
>
Shaylynne asks, "Hubris?"
>
Damiza ponders.
>
Lupdels says to Illiya, "I believe the perspective was from ... a failed Herald? A failed Immortal? A former something."
>
Kethrai says, "Or, it felt like... Something committed to growth, without decay. Creation without destruction. An imbalance, that will starve everything new..."
>
Allye nods to Kethrai.
>
Illiya nods to Lupdels.
>
Miraena frowns.
>
Illiya says to Lupdels, "A failed Herald was my thought too.. although I did not realize the Heralds consumed mana in great quantities."
>
Shaylynne nods to Kethrai.
>'
You say, "I must process what I saw. I leave you now."
>
You say, "Keep the Peace."
>
Damiza nods to you.
>
Shaylynne nods to you.
>
Allye left the group.
>
Shaylynne waves.
>
Lupdels bows to you.
>
Leustyin bows to you.
>
Casari says to Lupdels, "What they talked about reminds me of that hungry feeling at Arhat's Tower. At the time, I thought it was the Heralds yearning for magic, having to silence the noise in order to resist it."
>
Ezerak nods politely to you.
>
Allye nods to you.
>
Lupdels left the group.
>
Illiya smiles at you, revealing the dimples in her cheeks.
>
Aerilia nods to you.
>
Liraxes tonelessly says to Saragos, "If the Defiler is able to sense the activation of the enchantment, it might be possible to communicate with them in some fashion. But Liraxes is not able to see the Defiler's current status."
>
Allye says to you, "Thank you for gathering us again like this."
>
Kethrai says to Illiya, "I'm not sure they do. It may have been that the dragon-lady in the vision was a Herald. The gardeners... something else."
>
Madigan says, "Take care Waydren."
Consolidated Visions
At the edges of your perception, you find your connection to Elanthia still lingering, as if it never truly left you. A sense of a pure, verdant, serene planet surrounds you, and your vision slowly adjusts. You see yourself at the foot of a tall lifesculpted spire that crosses two strong-moving rivers, in a glade encircled by a tall canopy of trees. The form of a large orange dragon settles at the base of the spire, towering over you, before hunching itself low, twisting and shifting until it resembles a feminine humanoid form. She walks toward where you stand, as if aware of your presence, and pauses thoughtfully. Your gaze looks down, and you see two small hands. She plants a hand on the crest of your forehead, and whispers words that are not audible -- and yet you know them. "You will be one of my Gardeners."
At her touch, the world twists, and shapes before you. In moments, you experience flickers of memories and experiences. You find yourself shaping creation to your whim, gesturing and twisting nature into an elegant, harmonious design, but find yourself depleted each time -- a gnawing hunger filling your being, as you pull from each available mana stream and exhaust its limitations. Years -- decades -- centuries pass in moments, and yet you find that hunger welling deeper and deeper with each use -- insatiable and endless. You reach to broader areas for mana, and are more selective as time passes, but the hunger does not abate.
Focusing on the hunger, you discover that the only fulfilment you can achieve is by consuming raw, pure mana in immense quantity. In time, you find the thread of new streams of mana just beyond your reach. You call to it, and it does not answer -- and yet the hunger grows, as does your desperation. It takes painful ages, but in that time, you discover a way to grasp that mana -- by pulling something new inside the paradise. Your senses are overwhelmed as you reach out, deliberately slicing into the knitted strands that protect the plane, and force the new threads of mana through, building a new weave. In this moment, you feel more powerful than ever -- and the hunger is sated.
Boundless creation followed, and you found yourself pushing each of your limits. Time speeds up as you watch creation become even more intricate. And yet -- time slows until you can focus on a single feeling -- a single moment inside a single vision. The humanoid has returned. Again, you do not understand her words, but you instinctually are familiar with her meaning -- rejection. Failure. With another touch, you are unmade, and in that moment, you become acutely aware that you are accused of poisoning the purity of this world. In the unmaking, your consciousness becomes attached to a speck of dirt inside a beam of light beneath the canopy that surrounds a now-withering spire, helpless to watch as your creations slowly are undone as a consequence of your actions inside a null prison for what appears to be an eternity.
You watch from the outside as the humanoid crafts a new being -- similar to the one you experienced, except fundamentally different in one fundamental purpose. Where you had experienced the memories of a Gardener, these new creations warded against the fear of rot. Again, you experience time pass in epochs as Elanthia would, watching the verdant glory tarnish, fade, and wilt, and with a feeling of dread, you cannot help but know that something has been beckoned through. You feel pain as war ravages the planet, and time slows to one horrible moment -- when hundreds of these new creations are locked in battle with an incomprehensible outside force. In a flash, one invokes words that have terrible meaning -- and at the expense of the verdant life, it rends everything you consider beautiful into a desiccated wasteland, leaving innumerable creators and their creations joining the soul of the planet. Your vision abruptly returns to normal, leaving you disoriented.