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by Brom Van Brunt

After conversing with Trickster, we were shunted back into the forest. From where we are, we can see the lake and our destination: an island in the middle of a lake, with a giant tree with a door in the middle.

With a pep talk from Rohrouk, we took a short break before making our way to the Tree of Roysin. Upon arrival the lake was quiet, and we didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Brom volunteered to investigate, and upon walking underwater came in contact with a submerged tree that very quickly revealed itself to be a gigantic (Giant) tree humanoid.

A Great Test of Strength

The tree spoke of testing us, and as it raised a gnarled arm trees came to life around us. To arms then. Surprisingly, we only need ed to show our strength -- the fight ended almost as quickly as it began.

A Model Demonstration

Reaching the Tree of Roysin, Eragon unlocked the door to reveal a wooden and ornate spiral staircase downwards. At the bottom, there was a door (similarly ornate) carved with a ship cresting a wave and the two word-phrases: "Roysin -- In Wisdom". Beyond, the next room held what looked like a model diagram of the countryside -- complete with villages and rivers and forests. In the main river is a beautiful carved wooden ship (similar to what we saw on the door), easily the most beautiful work of wooden art any of us had seen. The ship is stylized with griffons: a griffon-headed foremast, griffon-emblazoned sails, and a hull painted with griffons port and starboard. The ship's deck was covered in what looked like pebbles (to scale, the ship is larger than everything else in the room, at about a foot long). Fathom recalled that the griffon was associated with Deltavros -- this could be his ship The Golden Wing. On the other side of the room, the model held a mountain with a large bird's nest atop it: "a griffon's nest, maybe?". Brom directed Eragon to summon an illusion of a griffin in its cave, which without direction let out a cry before disappearing.

We messed around with illusions for a while. It was not until we moved the stones (Deltavros' crew) to the far end of the shore away from the waterfall, that we heard a click. The door unlocked and a voice rang out: "The things we create belong to us; a ship is for the crew -- a crew belongs to a city, and the city belongs to the weakest of us."

Learning to Let Go

The next room is circular, with a wooden carving of a stag. Water erupts from its mouth into a hole in the floor. As we all entered: "When I first met Deltavros, I knew I would follow him anywhere. I did, for many years, and those years were well spent. And too, at times, he followed me." Runes on the other side of the room, nearby a door: "let go". After debate and deliberation, Brom suggested (to which everyone agrees) that we might have to "let go" in the literal sense. Fathom was the first to start drowning. Just as he started to lose consciousness, something in the room changed, and the water drained. A near-death experience, for sure.

What We Learned Along The Way

As we limped into the next room, we beheld a small library with books on one side and treasures on the other -- gems, gold, weapons, anything one could desire. In the back, one could see a marble-hewn statue of a young elf with an open palm outstretched. A voice, soft and strong, called to us: "Deltavros and I traveled together, and for very far. We won many treasures together, all the fine things of this earth. We felt invincible, indeed." On the statue we could read: "place within my hand / that here which is grandest." We tried several things, but Brom was the one to grasp the statue ("with the power of friendship!") to reveal a hidden door and onto the next room.

And Oh My God They Were Roommates

The next room held a shrine of sorts on a low raised dais, a stone carving of two figures: one tall and broadshouldered with a beard; naked except for a cape and helmet in one hand. The other, an elf equally naked and slim-figured. Each statue looks into the eyes of the other, with a hand on the others face. "Lovers, maybe." A nearby table holds pots and a stone disc. The key.

"Initiate of wisdom, if you learn only one thing, learn this: as we are all of Tier Shannigray and roots of the same tree, so too are we of all the world. We are not different from those across the sea. We embrace them, forever, as we embrace ourselves, and each other." Yes, Daltavros and Roysin were true lovers.

Continue reading...

Brom Van Brunt, Champion of the Sister Isles
01.19.20

Recourse for Revenge
01.27.20

Nightmare
02.03.20

Seditiousness, Dereliction of Duty, Impropriety, Blasphemy and Contempt of Court
02.10.20

Death Is Inevitable
02.17.20

The Dead Who Did Not Die
02.24.20

The Tree & The Warren
03.09.20

Test
03.16.20

Bad Reunions
03.23.20

The Enemy of My Friend
03.30.20

Island Hopping
04.06.20

Another Round, We Go
04.20.20

Calm, Before We Storm
01.20.20

One Last Fight
04.27.20

Deltavros, the Champion of the Seas
05.08.20

The Odyssey Champions
05.08.20

Ten Weeks' Rest
05.11.20

Die
05.18.20

Despite Spite
05.25.20

Bumps in the Woods
06.01.20

Once Upon A Witch
06.08.20

Crossover: Let Fate Guide
06.15.20

Where To Go From Here
06.29.20

Loss.jpg
07.06.20

Replacing Power & Authority
07.13.20

Question and Answer
07.20.20

Red in the Woods
07.27.20

Chasing Ghosts
08.03.20

Journey's End
08.17.20

Strong Enough
08.24.20

Test

A Great Test of Strength

A Model Demonstration

Learning to Let Go

What We Learned Along The Way

And Oh My God They Were Roommates

Continue reading...

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