Session 61: Song of the Forest Report

General Summary

With the gease ritual complete they would set out the next morning using the Forest Ways, the trees opening allowing them to teleport into the deepest and oldest part of the forest. Here accompanied by Lenire, she would begin to sing a haunting song, causing the branches to part and a path to open into the wood. Anar would step upto A'lar and offer his hand, "Let the goddess light your way," A'lar would take his hand and nod in thanks before the Scales would set out into the forest. After an hour of walking they would come to a fork in the road, looking from path to path they would sigh seeing no discernable difference. Adalon would motion to A'lar, "Light the Candle, it will show us the way I believe." As A'lar did two runes would glow under the candles light marking each path. As they studied the Runes, one would be the spiritual symbol of death, the other fire. Discerning that Fire and Death were between the realm of Winter, and the Solstice had just passed, they decided to walk the path of fire. A few hours yet and a cross roads would befall them. The Candles light would show runes of Spring, Earth, Water, they would traverse next after some debate the path of water as it drew closer to the realm of life on the map of the Spirit World. Another crossroads met them but now leading to Summer, Fire, and Death. Deciding one must tread thru death to truely live they decided to seek the path marked death, but in the morning as they day had been spent walking.  

Despite the morning sun the sky seemed to darken as they followed the path. Icey crystals began to form upon the forest floor, as they walked they became more frequent and thicker, eventually Ayrien would seem to catch a glimpse of a face within one, making eye contact a terrible wailing scream of despair would over take the Scales. From the crystals, faces of giants would cry out in anguish and despair. The sorrow filled many of the scales, reminding them of the weeping statue from the Giant City. A'lar would set out to singing a burial hymn of Ilmaren, while the scales would steel themselves and attempt to comfort and aide the seemingly trapped giant souls. One by one then by the dozens the crystals would shatter and a spark of light would swirl and depart the world, the wailing would stop, the oppressive darkness slowly would lift, and they found themselves yet again at a cross roads. Unsure of where to go next, Ismaril would begin to sing the song she had heard young Lenire sing. Not quite getting the melody A'lar would join her and soon the haunting elven chant would ring in the forest, the Sign of Winter glowing brighter in the candles light, and so the scales returned to Winter where they had begun. Longwei would offer, "Much like society nature has an order of things, perhaps we need to walk the orderly path of the world?" And so the Scales marched from Winter, to Fire, to Autumn, and to Air, a new rune greeting them upon a path, that of Life, and so they strode forward to find the Lady of the Wood.  

Instead however they entered a strange clearing where 4 great stone Obelisks stood holding empty braziers, and a large pillared pedestal stood at the center. As they neared ghostly elven warriors would appear, strike them with darting blades and vanish. Fighting invisible ghosts was proving a challenge. As they slew one, a greater spirit would appear upon the pedestal and hurl the spirit of the defeated defender at them in a blast of spiritual energy, and the ghost would take back up its blade. Longwei and Ismaril would dart to the two nearest obelisks and light the braziers there, the brilliant energy of these unnatural fires would force the Ghosts to take physical form, allowing the scales to fight them on equal footing. A'lar would rush to the next Obelisk, noting upon the pedestal stood an altar with an obvious candle holder instead of a brazier. As he reached his obelisk, Bliss would rush to the northern most. The two ghosts around A'lar would take solid form, their blades piercing the man with deadly accuracy, dropping him from the fight. Bliss would be knocked unconscious from a spiritual blast and another ghost returned. Adalon, which had flown his drake to the center now took flight to attempt to rescue the fallen A'lar, while the others contended with the ghostly spirits.