Company+of+the+Phoenix+Session+20

**3-3-17** ** A Stormy Glimpse into Another World and The ****Battle vs the Corrupt Wolfen Leader and the Shard of Sarya**

 Urd led the companions deeper into the forest, except for Anuul who chose to stay behind with Bo. Accompanying the group was The Herald who came to be the witness for his people. A shaman of the wolfen, he was elderly with a grayed muzzle and failing eyesight. Leaning closer to the shaman, Tiri nodded to him, "The elderly are honored by my people for their wisdom and experience. One who spends his life learning magic or honing a craft is to be well respected. Your connection to the spirit realm must be great indeed."

As they walked, the trees began to become smaller... more wilted...gnarled... leafless and dried up. "This is known as the Dead Forest," The Herald informed them. "What causes it to be dead?" Alaric asked, looking around. "It is believed that a fey lord was slain here... draining the life of the forest to bolster its own... but it failed," the wolfen shaman answered. "So it died... and still the forest with it," Charlemagne frowned. "It needs to be cleansed," Alaric suggested, feeling the haunted remnants of dark magic clinging to the area. Tiri nodded her agreement, touching the star on her forehead.

As they moved to the north, the forest grew darker, the shadows became almost oppressing. "This darkness is unnatural... something watches us," Nalen warned his companions as he searched for the unseen threat. Alaric pulled out his scepter, and the dragon encased orb on the top began to glow with a golden fiery light. The ground began to soften beneath their feet, becoming mud that was difficult to trudge through and fog began to roll across the ground. "He is near... I can smell him," the shaman paused his steps, his voice a whisper. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Charlemagne pulled his sword from its sheath, and the blade lit up with fire along the edge.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Branches swayed from the dead trees around them, and one moved forward with a face... Charging forward, it slashed its razor-like branches across Charlemagne! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> Shocked, Charlemagne quickly brought his flaming sword back up to slash across the fey. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Other strange tree wraiths were moving in from the fringes of the fog like bark-clad ghosts. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">One came in from their left, spilling Rhain's blood into the mud! <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> Another followed it in to slash across the Herald. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> Karlissa plunged through the mud and the vines to strike her sword against one of the approaching fey coming in from their right.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Thorned vines crawled over the ground, entangling everyone in its grasp. Poison from the thorns coursed through their veins making them sickened, except for Alix who managed to fight it off.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> A ball of fire formed between Alaric's hands and shot out into the fey attacking Rhain, flames wove through and over its wooden body! Alix followed his lead, and shot a pair of arrows that stuck into the same creature. Urd sent two arrows into the fey on the shaman... too late to save him as the tree creature slashed into him again and again with its sharp branches... the shaman crumpled to the ground. Rhain took another shot from a piercing branch through her side as she drove her blade into the creature, cracking it into splinters.

Nalen trudged his way through the mud and the bramble toward Rhain as a great four-armed wolfen arrived from the edge of the fog beside him! Tiri managed to skate her quick light feet over the mud, only the bramble of vines slowing her down, as she moved forward enough to pulse out a wave of blue energy that healed some of the wounds of her companions.

Alaric felt magic wash over him, but no effect seemed to happen. Another wave of fire rolled off of the sorcerer's hands to burn one of the approaching fey, taking him down in a charred pile of ash. Alix turned toward the arriving corrupted wolfen, shooting a pair of arrows, but the entangling roots tripped him up to send them askew. Urd sent another pair of arrows into the fey tree by the shaman who still laid on the ground, but was once again breathing.

Charlemagne slashed his flaming blade across the branch wraith again, but the bramble seemed to held back his stride, preventing the full strength of his strike, and he only managed to slash off part of its bark.

In the center of the group, Tiri pulsed out another wave of magic, praying fervently to her god, and healing more of the wounds of the bloody companions around her. Nalen turned to meet the oncoming wolfen, the power of his own god with him as he delivered a powerful strike with his blade! An arc of flame washed out from the someone out in the fog, severely charring the paladin as the four-armed wolfen raked its claws deeply across his chest!

The front fey-tree pierced its sharp branch into Charlemagne again as another slashed across Karlissa's arm. Alaric sent a strike of fire over the one on the right as his ball of flame toppled the one in the front, freeing the warriors to begin moving through the muck and the bramble... Both warriors trying valiantly to make it to aid the paladin against the corrupted wolfen.

Alix shot a pair of silver arrows into the fey tree on the left followed by another double shot from Urd that dropped the creature. This allowed the shaman to finally get back to his feet. Tiri pulled her wand to heal Nalen across the battle from her, and the paladin healed himself before striking the fey wolfen again with a mighty divine blow of his blade. It raked its claws deeply across the paladin's side, leaving gouges in the metal armor.

More fey tree beasts came in from the fog, one of them piercing it's branch through the shaman, dropping his body to crumple back to the ground. Alaric washed fire over the wolfen as Rhain moved through the bramble to strike her sword across the newly arrived fey.

Alix slipped in the mud, and his two silver arrows fired over the wolfen's head. Urd sparked up a flaming arrow and sent it sailing through the fog. Confused by the shot, Charlemagne turned to see what Urd was firing at and seen another fey tree coming in... it clicked and creaked as it moved on all fours ever closer, so the warrior turned back toward the front line, leaving Nalen and Karlissa to handle the fey wolfen. Tiri began muttering prayers, drawing a connection to the plane of fire.

Nalen healed himself again, panting heavily as his blood seeped from his wounds. He drew back his blade, muttering another prayer to his god, and delivered a final divine strike into the four armed wolfen that finally dropped it to the ground! The bramble of thorned vines died around them, leaving them to stand in the open muck. The fog began to dissipate and a howl called from ahead of them!

As they turned toward the howl, the companions could see a more formed version of one of the fey trees. She stood over a pentagram of stones, the greenery cleared away. She planted a staff in the middle of the symbol and began chanting and mumbling.

The smaller fey trees charged into the group, one of them leaping in front of Alaric and slashing across his flesh. Alaric rolled his ball of fire into the fey attacking him, surrounding it in flames and charring it to ashes! Rhain stepped through the bramble and plunged her two blades into the four-armed wolfen... just to be sure. The other small fey tree drove one of it's sharpened branches through Karlissa's chest, her blood dripping into the mud around her. Charlemagne met a third with a slash of his flaming sword across the creature, leaving a long charred streak across its trunk.

The tree woman continued to chant and the runes along her staff began to glow. Alix shot a pair of well aimed arrows toward the tree woman, but they were swept away by a swirling wind around her. A pair of tiny fire elementals answered Tiri's call for aid, leaping onto the two fey trees to char them with flames. Another pulse of healing energy washed over her companions.

The shaman coughed, getting back to his feet once again. His eyes flashed wide as he recognized a remnant of Sarya in the fey tree woman before them. He moved back behind Alix at Tiri's urgings. Nalen moved through the mud to interpose himself between the priestess and another incoming fey tree as it moved to meet him, slashing him with its razor like branches!

The fey tree in front of Karlissa turned to slash into Alaric as the fey on Charlemagne wove its branches together, plunging them fully through his abdomen! Blood turned the mud around his feed to red, but he remained standing!

The tree woman leaned back, holding her staff with arms opened wide as she continued to chat and mumble. Trying to ignore the fey nearer to him, Alaric wove a new ball of fire, sending it careening into the fey tree woman! Flames rolled over her as the runes of her staff began to glow with fire. Her eyes opened and she looked directly at the sorcerer, "You have chosen the form." She became an enormous of explosion of fire, and the entire dead woods around them was burst into flames! Charlemagne, Urd, and Nalen, were blown to the ground from the force and the remaining fey trees were instantly turned to ash!

Surrounded by a burning woods, Tiri sent another wave of healing over her companions as they regained their feet. Alaric led them back through, taking as much of the same path back as he could. The group coughed and gasped from the smoke in their lungs as they fought to move quickly. The very woods itself seemed opposed to Alaric as he tripped over gnarled roots and branches swung at his face. They all managed to make it out, some fairly singed and charred. Tiri glanced at the sorcerer, wondering why he was having so much extra trouble in the forest... praying to Corellion, she removed the curse of nature's exile that clung to him.

They all made their way back to the wolfen camp to tell the tale of the death of their former leader and the fey who became fire, burning the woods. The shaman was welcomed back, and led to his tent to rest. Anuul was chatting excitedly with a group of wolfen and waved to the companions, "You're back! That's great!" "Next time I'm staying behind to flirt with the wolfen ladies," Alix grumbled at her. "Really?" she tilted her head, "That's just weird." "You'd be bound to get some tail," Charlemagne chuckled. Anuul laughed, "I see what you did there! You made a funny!" The wolfen ladies raised an eyebrow at the slayer... he didn't seem to have nearly enough muscles and his ears were short and round. "Will you be coming back with us?" Tiri moved next to the kitsune. "I think I might hang out here for awhile," Anuul answered her, smiling at the boys around her. Tiri nodded, "I thought that you might... but I will miss you greatly."

The wolfen prepared a large feast with a freshly caught stag and boar. Alaric wove the great tale of their battle, talking up each of his companions. "We shall hope that the fire burns out," Nanook nodded as s torm clouds rolled in to bring a drizzling rain.

Urd sought out Charlemagne, "Have you heard how the wall between worlds is thinning?" Without a clue as to what she was talking about, he simply nodded with a smile, "Sure." "Here in these woods... during storms... it grows very thin," she explained, "Come with me. I want to show you something." Charlemagne nodded to her, following her out into the woods as the others carried on in their celebration with the wolfen.

The drizzling rain picked up a little as the two walked up to a glade in the trees. Lightning flashed overhead, and images played out before them of some other world or place... "Wait, wait," she held him back from going further. As the rain fell heavier and the lightning flashed, the images became much more clear. Still slightly translucent, a white-haired elven man was walking in whatever place they were witnessing. His garments were strange, dressed sort of like a ship captain, but his cloak was decorated with elven sigils. Urd pointed to some of them, "There on his back... those sigils say Arcfall. It appears to be a name... I don't think he is of our world, but I have seen him here several times." "I wonder what it means," Charlemagne shook his head as he stared almost with disbelief at the scene before him. "I was hoping that you might know," Urd frowned. "Maybe someone back at the camp would know," he suggested. "Perhaps," she nodded.

The two watched as Arcfall moved out of the glade just before a few great horned and cloven evil-looking beasts prowled in... they sniffed the ground around them as though tracking a scent. Charlemagne moved a little closer, reaching out to run his hand through the image of one of the beasts. He could feel the warmth on his hand, and the beast seemed to notice as well, looking around to see what had touched it. It obviously couldn't see him... but there was a disturbance in the texture of its fur, showing the trail of Charlemagne's fingers. The pack moved on, following the direction of the Arcfall figure.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #222222; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> "How did you find this place?" Charlemagne turned to the Cormyrian princess standing beside him. "I stumbled upon it by accident," she assured him, "but there are other places like it." "What have you seen?" he asked. "I have seen ships that move across land as though they were on water," she answered, nodding to his widened eyes. "That would be amazing!" he exclaimed, glancing back toward the glade a little hopefully for just a moment. She smiled, "I don't know what magic or science is used to make them... but they were interesting to watch."

"Have you seen anything else? Anything important?" he tilted his head inquisitively. She nodded, pausing for a moment, "I seen a dragon... that devoured a city." "That... seems pretty important," he nodded, "Did you recognize the city?" She shook her head, "No... I don't believe it was of this place." "Well that's probably a good thing," he nodded. "And I have seen others much like the wolfen who are here," she continued. "In the rifts?" he asked, glancing again to the glade. She nodded. "Really?" he nodded, a little surprised, "We should probably tell the others of this."

"Perhaps," she nodded to him, "I've also seen a man with white hair sitting atop a black city... and he looks sad... but as many times as I have tried to speak to them... they can neither see nor hear me." "Maybe there's some sort of magic that would let us reach out... communicate with them," he suggested. "But do we want to?" her voice was a whisper with just a trace of fear. He nodded to her, "You're right... Just because we CAN do something... doesn't mean we SHOULD... but still we should educate the others of this... fascinating discovery. My cousin is very intelligent on these sort of matters." "Really?" Urd asked, pausing for a moment, "He seems a little... power hungry? Even if he is easy on the eyes." "He's a little pompous and self-absorbed," the muscular warrior agreed, "and very ambitious, of course... but not too power-hungry... he's trustworthy." "Should we head back then?" she asked. Charlemagne nodded, "We should." "Step where I step," she smiled back at him as she led the way, "You may know your way around a battlefield... but here you are as blind as a pup." He smirked, but followed her steps none the less.

Back at the celebration, Alaric sat down next to Tiri, "Are you feeling alright?" The sound of his voice seemed to bring her back from her vacant stare, and she smiled, "I'm just worried about the fire in the forest." "I'm sure that this storm will take care of it," he assured her, glancing out at the pouring rain beyond the tent rooftops. She nodded to him, sipping from her mug of ale the wolfen made from tree sap. Alix was brooding in the corner as Anuul danced with Bo near the fire.

Charlemagne and Urd returned in from the rain, and he nodded to her, "Let's get a good night sleep. We'll tell them in the morning." "As you see fit," Urd agreed. "Let's discuss it in your tent a little bit more," he added casually. She paused her steps and smiled at him, "That was smooth... well played, my lord, well played." The group feasted and were made a part of the pack. They celebrated with drums and fire and dancing.

In the morning many wolfen were still laying all about the camp. "You have done us a great honor making us a part of your tribe," Alaric addressed Nanook as the leader greeted them, "Our tribe is the Company of the Phoenix. If you ever have need of our aid... simply give this to the elves with your message. They will get it to us." He handed him a badge like the ones the members of the company wore. "Thank you," Nanook nodded to him, accepting the gift and handed him a horn in return, "If you are in need... sound this horn. If any of our clan should hear it... they will immediately come to your aid." The large wolfen leader then brought out a chest of gold, "I'm sure the Company of the Phoenix has great expenses... allow me to give you a more physical reward." Alix stared with eyes lit up at the sparkling of the gold in the chest. Everyone received 2500 gold each.

The group set forth, traveling back through the forest to return to Myth Drannor. Charlemagne and Urd told the others of the glade images and the thinning of walls in storms during their trip back... all of them intrigued by the story and the idea. "Arcfall," the name rolled off of Tiri's tongue, "It seems like I've heard that name somewhere before... like maybe in a dream." "Perhaps you have," Alaric nodded to her. Upon their return, the group told The White Rose the tale of their adventure, the building of a relationship with the wolfen, and the seemingly defeat of a shard of Sarya.