AAR: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

The current version of the Earthdawn West Marches Discord campaign, effective Jan 1, 2020

Moderator:etherial

User avatar
etherial
Posts:964
Joined:Sun Nov 27, 2016 11:04 pm
Location:Berlin, Massachusetts
Contact:
Re: LFG: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by etherial » Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:14 pm

Name: Daldorer
Last Game Played:2020-07-17 (probably)
Effective Circle: 8
Discipline: Nethermancer
Quote/Unique: Daddy can make you feel better
Notable Abilities: Last Chance, Death's Head, Dust to Dust
Downtime:
Alchemy Step 8. Recipes: Booster Potion and Small Light Quartz
Research Step 20.

nathaniel
Posts:347
Joined:Wed Dec 13, 2017 1:48 am
Location:Dallas Texas

Re: LFG: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by nathaniel » Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:53 am

Zil, Dubhan, William, and Xeviouz join me for a trip into the woods.

Waijhou
Posts:245
Joined:Sat Oct 27, 2018 2:27 am

Re: LFG: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by Waijhou » Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:36 am

July 18, 2020 [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns

From the journal of Xeviouz, Human Warrior of the 8th Circle

Rumor:
After reading the document released by Jael titled “What has happened to the Wyrmwoods?” S'ven T'rum'ble-Cr'eek from the Throalic “Woodsmen” Nordal was horrified with what he read. http://www.fasagames.com/forum/viewtopi ... =10#p13504

Jael reached out to the local Nordal after his encounter, wishing to learn more about the current state of the Wyrm, and if they allow him to gain the honor of being what Elves call a Retishay. S'ven has sent word that he wishes to discuss in person with Jael a possible ordeal, informing him he is allowed to bring guests.

My good friend Jael talks to me about a possible adventure, I stop him there and tell him I am in. We are to meet a guy named Sven at his cabin. He is happy to see Jael and they talk about what is going on at the Wyrmwood. I stay a respectful distance away so as not to appear to be listening in. Any important info I am sure Jael will share with me. Along for the trip are Zil, Dubhan and William Carver. Jael says Sven is a Woodsman, he also says he has spoken to a group of Purifiers about this as well. Sven hands Jael a pretty scarf to wear around his lower face. He said it has the marking of his Nardahl on it, which originated in the Wyrmwood. A Nardahl is a collection of Woodsman from the same area sharing the same beliefs.

We leave Throal early in the morning headed to Sosanopa where we will get a ferry ride across the river. It takes 3 days to reach Sosanopa, then we try to find a boat captain to take us across. Captain Gromor Bane sees us coming and is visibly excited. He recognizes us as being great adepts. After a brief talk he says he will take us across for 5sp each. AFter a couple of hours of loading cargo we all board the river boat and set sail. THe captain drops us off on the other side and bids us good luck. We follow the river till we reach the south side of the Wyrmwood.

We reach the outer perimeter of the Wyrmwood forest, the burned area. It is still about a mile across the burned area to the tree line. We were provided a map of the area along with the marking of a small outpost we are to find located at 31.03 William is very good at navigation and says he can find this place with no problems. We start out across the burned area and once we reach a large pile of rocks about 100 yeards from the tree line we are ambushed by archers. We charge there position but by the time we get there they have already fled. Zil is wounded by the arrows. William is able to track the ambushers using the arrows they shot at us.

We travel the day but the going is slow. It seems like the Wyrmwood doesn't like us. THe vines and tree limbs are constantly reaching out and trying to grab / trip us. We rest for the night, it is very eerie. Sleep is hard to find in this area. Next morning we wake, eat karma and continue or march. Mid day as we are walking down the pat, we enter a small glade and are immediately ambushed by 5 large toads covered in spikes. None of our party was caught unawares. We make quick work of the toads and continue on our way.

Zil suggests he can summon a water elemental and ask it some questions about what is going on in this forest. We need to find a source of water for him to summon. Zil summons a large water elemental and begins speaking to it. He tells us later that he asked the elemental what is the cause of the wickedness to the Wyrmwood, the growing of spikes on all the animals, the twisting of nature. THe elemental indicates it was the doing of the elves. It talks to Zil for a little while longer and then it leaves. We continue on our way.

It is about dusk when we come to a small clearing that is the outpost we were looking for. This place looks as if it had been abandoned before the scourge. William spots a small camp fire just over the wall of the outpost. Looks like there were a few people camped out here. William finds a small piece of wood that is carved into an Oak Leaf. William uses his Mystic Pursuit talent and we follow the trail of this group. We come to a small clearing and it look slike a tree turns towards us and gets aggressive. There are 4 elves as well, that look like the have wood growing out of them. THey attack. After a moment of fighting I realize these are the creatures that tried to ambush us as we were walking in towards the forest! We fight and win the battle and none of us are wounded. Just after we are finished with the battle a number of Elven Woodsmen come out of the forest with bows drawn and trained on us. One of them speaks to us in what I assume is the Elven dialect. I look at my companions to see if any of them understand what is being said. Jael holds up the scarf he was given and speaks in the same language as the Woodsmen. The woodsmen all have thorns in their skin, all over their skin. I have no idea what they are saying. Jael seems to be visibly shaken.

Later Jael and Dubhan tell us the Elves twisted the woods and themselves to survive the scourge. THese woodsmen have many thorns in their skin and are bleeding from them. When asked if the thorns hurt, they say that it is a small price to pay for safety and surviving the scourge. He says the Elves used Blood Magic to change the wood and themselves. There is only one Nordhal now instead of many different ones, it is called Shareth. He explained now the way of the Woodsman is to protect the Elven Court and protect the way of the BloodWood. The children are born without thorns in their skin. They go through the Ritual of Thorns while still an infant. We ask them if they want to send an Elf back with us as an Envoy to Throal. THey indicate they will have to bring that to the Queen. They send one of their members with us to escort us out of the BloodWood. We head back to throal with alot of information.

Icarus-Wolfswift
Posts:82
Joined:Fri May 08, 2020 6:15 pm

Re: LFG: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by Icarus-Wolfswift » Sun Jul 19, 2020 1:40 am

The Rose and The Thistle both have thorns
Time: 2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT
GM: Hinroe
Circle: 8
Difficulty: Hard

Player Rewards:
Jael: LP 28000 SP 1350 TIP 5, Woodsman Path Initiation
Zil, LP 28000 SP 1350 TIP 5
Dubhan, 28,000 LP, 1,350 sp, 5 TIPs
Xeviouz: 28000 LP, 1350 sp, 5 TiP's

Journal Rewards:
Journal Reward 1400 LP, 337.5SP

GM Reward:
Icarus 7,500 650 SP 3 TIP

Downtime Actions Available:

Zil: Research rank 4, step 12 (step 15 if pay 20 sp for library access).
Item History Rank 4 (step 16)

William: Forge Weapon (5) Step 12, Research 7 Step (14) (17 with library access) Item History 5 (12).
Top

Duban: Research Step 26 (Library access worth it for Warden items)
Alchemy Step 12 (Booster Potions, Small Light Crystals, Kelix' Poultice) (1 Day Downtime).
Creation of Spell Matrix Objects: 1,000 sp, 4 days for Standard, 2,000 sp, 5 days for Enhanced. And yes, that's the 1/2 off price. :D
Design Enchanting Pattern: Minimum 4 TIPs, 2 weeks Downtime, contact for details
Craft True Pattern (i.e. create Thread Item): Requires a Pattern. 3 TIPs minimum, 2 weeks Downtime, Silver cost varies, contact for details

Jael: Animal Training (Rank 7) 17, Item History (Rank 5) 14, Research (Rank 4) 13 (16 with library access)



Further Information:
The Adepts made contact with the Woods men of the Wyrm Woods

ottdmk
Posts:462
Joined:Mon Dec 12, 2016 10:25 pm

Re: LFG: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by ottdmk » Sun Jul 19, 2020 2:41 am

From the journal of Dubhan Goronich:

I've started to accept the pattern of my life. A friend asks for my help, and then things get... interesting.

This time, Jael was asked by the local Woodsman Nordal to check out a possible situation in the Wyrm Wood, and Jael asked myself, Zil, William and Xevious along to help out.

We made our way to Sosanopa without difficulty, and for a change found transport across the river without much issue. It seems that my colleagues and I are becoming somewhat known. I'm not sure how much I like that. We'll have to see, I suppose.

Heading towards the Wood we entered an area that was burnt out, and we were attacked by Archers. I was grateful for my armor, which Zil had enhanced as usual. Entering the wood, we were set upon by wood-infused giant toads. I barely did anything; my colleagues made quick work of them. I did perforate one with Hypervelocity.

We found the outpost that Jael had been sent to find. It was abandoned, likely pre-Scourge. We did find some evidence of recent occupation... a carving. William used it to track them... but during the tracking, we were ambushed by a party of Mandrakes. Mandrakes are tree-hoppers; I've encountered them before. Frustrating things. Anyways, the fight was fast and furious. By the time I cast Rampage, it was pretty much over.

After the fight was over... we were approached by a party of Elves. But these were Elves unlike any I've ever seen before. They had thorns sticking through their skin. They told us many things... why the Wood is the way it is, why they are the way they are, a lot of things. Horrible, horrible things. I'm sure Jael will be writing a paper for the next Scholar symposium. The Blood Elves did horrific things to save themselves from the Horrors. I find myself wondering if it was worth it.

nathaniel
Posts:347
Joined:Wed Dec 13, 2017 1:48 am
Location:Dallas Texas

Re: AAR: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by nathaniel » Sun Jul 19, 2020 4:17 am

Transcript of the "State of the Wyrmwood" symposium given by the Scholar Jaen'val'Jael Savre

Fellow Scholars, Adepts and Members of the Throalic community. I come before you after a successful excursion into the Wyrm Wood. The knowledge I have gained about what has transpired in the Ancient Elven homeland is both dire and disturbing.

I approached S'ven T'rum'ble-Cr'eek from the Throalic Nordal after the completion of a deed within the Wyrm Wood. I had observed strange things within the wood that the lore kept in the great library does not agree with. I had hoped one of the Retishay, Woodsmen in the common tongue, would be able to address my concerns. However my story only caused more concern and confusion.

With S'ven guidance I lead a group of adventurers into the wood seeking answers. Zil Elementalist and Questor of Garlan, Dubhan Goronich Warden Wizard, William Carver tracker and Scout , and Xeviouz Warrior and Horror Stalker join me in finding answers.

Our journey took us past the cleared area around the woods and into it's depths. We were waylaid by forest creatures twisted by wood itself. Frogs that had heavy infusions of wood essence assailed us. Mandrakes and other twisted tree like creatures assaulted us. It was as if the forest itself was aligned against us.

It took days of travel and expert tracking on the part of William to finally find someone who could answer what has occurred in the Wyrm Wood.

The Retishay of the wood found us after a battle. They were initially hostile but upon seeing a Nordaltres S'ven had given me, as proof that he had sent us, they heard us out. And hostility gave way to wary trust. I asked them about the state of the wood and the answers I received chilled me to the core.

The elves we spoke with looked like any other elf save for the multitude of thorns growing out of their skin. These thorns bleed slowly and looked to cause a great deal of pain. When asked about their changed appearance the Retishay said that they were changed by something called “The Ritual of Thorns”. It appears that this ritual made them either resistant or immune to the horrors. But the cost, the cost is constant pain.

They spoke of how the Queen's Wardens, now called Blood Wardens, changed the Wyrmwood to survive the Scourge. Blood Rituals to turn the trees themselves into twisted protections against the Scourge. Enchantments similar to Kaer warding made the woods themselves into hostile ground for anyone not of the wood. It worked but like the ritual that change the elven form I ask at what cost?

After answering our questions, we asked them to pass along a request for reopening of diplomatic relations with Thoral, but we'll see. They escorted us out of the woods and in their presence the woods obliged our passage. What took us days to accomplish on the way in took half the time on the way out with their help

It seems clear to me after speaking with the Retishay that we should no longer call that place the Wyrm Wood, it's name has changed. It is now the Blood Wood.

Thank you for your time.

ChrisDDickey
Posts:1011
Joined:Sun Nov 27, 2016 10:02 pm

Re: AAR: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by ChrisDDickey » Sun Jul 19, 2020 8:41 pm

Extract from the written portion of the report that Zil submitted to the Elder Purifiers.

The Wyrm Wood is no more. The resident elves have ritually Renamed it to be the "Blood Wood". The very Pattern of the Wood has accepted it's new name and has changed to accommodate it. The changes are many, and the result is an abomination. 

As I understand it, and understand that the guy that explained it to us was not a magician, and also that I don't speak Sperethiel so I got the information 2nd hand. But from what I understand, prior to the scourge the elvish court refused to buy the rites of protection from the Therians (a noble and conscientious decision), but at the height of the scourge, the wooden kear that the Wyrm wood constructed instead, was failing. In desperation they enacted a horrible, horrible renaming, The Ritual of Thorns changed the old Wyrm Wood to the Blood Wood, and it changed the elvish residents to Blood Elves. 

The Blood Elves have thorns growing from their skin, and they bleed slightly from the thorns. This causes them constant pain, which apparently makes them less attractive to horrors. They attribute their survival of the scourge to this constant pain. If this was the end of the matter, that would be troubling, but it is not the end. The renaming affected not only the elves, but the whole Wood. The upside of this (from the blood elf point of view) is that the whole Wood is actively hostile to anybody who is not part of the Ritual of Thorns. I am sure this destroyed many horrors and their constructs. However it has also twisted and corrupted the whole wood.  We spent several days traveling the SE marches of the Blood Wood, and everywhere we traveled, astral space was Corrupted. I am  not certain how much of this is from the countless horrors that the Wood has undoubtedly destroyed, but I suspect that a very great deal of this astral corruption is from the Ritual of Thorns itself. 

The blood elves told us that there is a position of high honor among the elves called "Blood Warder", and that these go around the Wood and bleed upon the wood, using blood magic to reenforce the corruption. The blood magic will (for example) transform an Oak tree to a "Blood Oak" tree, which corruption they seem to think is a good thing. In addition to changed flora, the fauna is also often much changed. We were attacked by something called a "Thorned Toad", which is an 8 foot tall toad, that can attack with its tongue at a range of 20 yards, and is of course poisonous. We were also attacked by Mandrakes, which are wood infused, and also poisonous. 

When we asked about returning the wood to its former glories, the leader of the group we talked to said that he was not certain, but that it was probable that they have gone too far to go back now, and that few of them see any reason to go back. We specifically asked, and they said that babies are born without thorns, but the Ritual of Thorns is applied to the infant shortly after birth. I summoned a Water Elemental while in the wood, and it did not seem terribly upset about the Ritual of Thorns. It seemed to like the Blood Wood just fine. 

In conclusion the Blood Wood is corrupted. Astral space within the Blood Wood is corrupted. The elves (now Blood Elves) did in on purpose as an act of desperation, but are continuing the work and are still actively working to maintain the ritual. The Wood ought to be purified, but the Elves seem inclined to actively oppose such an agenda. 

Montaugh
Posts:203
Joined:Thu Dec 19, 2019 1:49 pm

Re: AAR: [8][Hard] The Rose and the Thistle both have thorns (2020-07-18@09:00 PM GMT)

Post by Montaugh » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:55 pm

My name is William Carver, I am a seventh circle Scout, Fifth Circle Thief and first rank on the path of the Journeyman.

I was contacted by Jael to lead him and a group into the Wyrmwoods. Jael had previous traveled there with a group and things were strange. He was under addressing the issues within the wyrmwood. He was talking about masks, woodsman and nordals. I was thinking.. it would be great to get out and see the wyrmwoods, and the adventure that awaited us. Charlie could use a nice brisk walk in the woods as well. Dubhan, Zil, Xeviouz and I were the ones to join Jael on this adventure.

The way to the woods was pretty straight forward, we met a T'srang named Gromor Bane and he took us across the river. We traveled along the river towards Wyrmwood. We encountered a area in which the land was scorched barren, rocks were placed to indicate Distance. We traveled into the woods and were beset upon with arrows. The ambush failed and the ones shooting the bows quickly retreated into the woods. I took one of the arrows and used it to track and avoid the ones that shot it at us.

Travel through the woods was difficult, it was if the very woods did not want us to be there, even the spirits that I contacted through the use of Safe Path were odd, one was a tree spirit that was covered in thorns.

Of note in our travels through the woods were the attack by the giant thorny toads. They stood at an amazing eight feet tall. We were also attacked by Mandrakes and some sort of tree thing that Jael killed before I could even figure out what it was.

Then the real meat of the adventure happened, we were contacted by blood wardens after we destroyed the mandrakes. They informed us that the woods we were in were a product of a ritual, it was how they survived the scourge. They tortured themselves to the point that the horrors would leave them alone for the most part, a pure act of desperation that they still continue to this day. They subject even their young to this ritual as infants. After a few minutes of Jael and these so called blood elves talking my speak language talent allowed me to hear and converse with them. One of the young blood elves made a mistake though, he left behind a carved wooden oakleaf that was not destroyed in a campfire. I was able to use Mystic Pursuit and used it to track the blood elves, that was how we were attacked by the Mandrakes. I returned the oakleaf to the young man as his elders scolded him for is mistake.

This is simply horrible and reminds me of Bamor. A people pushed to an extreme and doing what they felt was the only thing that could save them. Bamor worked with the horrors, the bloodwood corrupted themselves so that the horrors didn't have to. Were right? I don't know... Everyone in Bamor is dead and horrors haunt its halls. The bloodwood is alive with twisted life and even twisted elves. I don't believe that they were horror marked, but I am not the expert on such matters. While I seem to come across a lot of horrors and horror taint in my travels, I will leave that to the experts on the matter.

I am glad that they lead us out of the bloodwood. I was not looking forward to the march back out, with them leading us the woods allowed us free and easy passage, something to think about.

William Carver
Scout, Thief, Journeyman and Cavalryman.

Post Reply