A Light in the Darkness

General Summary

The Grey Outcasts continued their trek through the Forest of Teeth, wandering in a fugue for many unknown days.  As they became aware of themselves once more, the weight of their weary limbs became too much, forcing the five of them to seek out respite near a large tree.  As they began to drift off to dreamless sleep, a rumble roused them.  The branches above them began to twist and crack and roots began to rise from the ground as the tree they were sleeping under came to life and began to snatch up members of the party.  Quickly, they began hacking at the tree, opening wounds that leaked a slimy, coagulated blood.  Though weary, the Grey Outcasts were able to fell the tree and get a rest that they desperately needed.  Waking the next day, and continuing their journey towards the Heart of the Forest, the Outcasts came upon a battle in the forest and a familliar muzzle.  Pushing past the bramble, they found Luca, atop of whom rode an armored faerie dragon.  The two of them were in the midst of a battle with several afflicted squirrels.  As the Grey Outcasts entered the fray, the squirrels were quickly put to the sword.  Though thankful, the faerie dragon was wary of the Grey Outcasts, since she had not seen a single soul in the forest since she entered.  She introuduced herself as Diaspor, a knight of the Summer Court, and had been sent to the forest to root out the source of its evil, or return with information of its nature.  After realizing that she shared the same goal with the Grey Outcasts, she agreed to accompany them to the Heart of the Forest and whatever it held in store for them.  Naelen spoke to Luca (somehow for the first time ever) and asked him if he knew what happened to Clarimund.  Luca remembered that he got seperated from her while they were fighting squirrels and that she did not seem herself when she left.  As they continued to wander, Ent sensed a presence of light in the forest, and led the party in that direction.  They came upon a grove, free of the forest's influence, with three hollow trees all sitting opposite of one another.  They were greeted by an old, wilted dryad to introduced herself as Tywilla, and bade the party to rest in her grove.  She shared all she knew about the forest and its current condition.  The forest's affliction began a little over a century ago, when the druids entrusted with its protection found a black crystal that dripped with ichor in an ancient vault that seemed as old as the bones of the earth.  Ever since then, the affliction spread from the druid's enclave, which she termed the "Heart of the Forest".  She feared that one day the affliction would finally overtake the last few refuges in the forest, and spread without, becoming a threat to the outside world.  She offered the party a nearly broken Staff of Healing and wished them success.  Before they left, however, Tywilla warned the party aobut a "Wild Hunt" that had entered the forest nearly fifty years ago to root out the illness at the Heart.  They were not successful, and Tywilla feared that they had become part of the forest and would be a deadly threat, should the party encounter it.  After feeling refreshed at the grove, they continued on their way, but not before coming upon what appeared to be a corpse in full plate armor, resting upon a tree with a longsword in hand.  Ent felt a strange sense of kinship with the body and laid a hand on it.  His mind was filled with memories that seemed to be his own, of the battlefield that he had seen before.  He was cornered by a dark figure that plunged a blade into his chest.  The figure seemed to know him and called him Gwyndolin, before death finally took him.  Awakening from his vision, he spoke for the first time, his rotted lips whispering his name.  He then took up the sword of the warrior, which lit aflame, bringing light to the darkness.  They continued onward, with a little more hope than before.  They would need it, if they were to conquer the darkness at the final depth of the forest...

Notes

It is unknown what day this adventure summary started and when it ended.

Rally by h2oman99

Report Date

16 Dec 2023