Alloryen Kingdom
The Exaulted Tower
2nd day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
5:16 pm
In the midst of the blood splattered destruction, Thondrek tried to keep a calm head. It wasn’t easy, even for a battle hardened Khord. Channelling the magical flow of the Tides he shifted his vision to a more colourful spectrum. The walls were heavily protected by magic, and Thondrek had to squint his eyes to see through the overwhelming power. But aside from the walls, he noted only some faint arcane power on the overturned table, a mix of divination and illusional magic. The absence of occult items in a wizards’ tower was unsettling to say the least. But concentrating harder, the Duskblade perceived a softer glow, hardly visible under the strong abjuration on the walls. There had been plenty of magic in this room, but its source was now gone, leaving a residue that slowly ebbed away.

Under the overturned table, Thondrek found a hole in the floor, where a marble staircase spiralled to a lower level. Clinging to the walls, the Khord followed the blood stained series of monoliths, to enter a room that had once been a laboratory. Shards of glass and broken equipment lay scattered over the floor. The furniture in this room, tables, chairs and cabinets, had been flung against the walls, knocked aside and splintered to pieces. On a table that had been cracked in half lay the lifeless body of a Sylvari mage, fairly intact except for the strangely twisted neck. Empty eyes stared right at Thondrek, but kept their lock on the wall as the Khord moved on. This laboratory had also been stripped of any magical items, and another hole in the floor lead Thondrek to another level as his detection spell flickered and went out.

The room below had been a research room, or library, for it was covered with books and closets that lay toppled over. The wall was lined with maps of the Sylvari empire, sketches of strange animals, drawings of white willows and a rough map of the continent of Antaron. Most of these were filthy with blood and scorched, for a heavy battle had raged on this level of the tower. But what was most striking was the dead carcass of a bear-like creature that was spread on top of the flattened bookshelves. It’s hide was burnt, and a massive hole in its flank displayed its organs, maggots already feasting upon them. Strange growths, similar to those on the badger of Birch-Root, sprouted from its body, and its face was hardly recognizable as that of a bear. It was dark, and frozen in a snarl with too large teeth for the size of its mouth. Its eyes were closed, but lay further into the skull than should be, and its features seemed covered by a veil of shadow, even in the strong artificial light that illuminated the room.
The only place on the floor not covered by book-cases was the opening to the next floor, and Thondrek continued his journey through this devastated tower.

Level after level did he go through, all of them destroyed; the stage of an insane slaughter. But he found no valuables, no magical items, no gems, and hardly any bodies, until he reached a level close to the ground. It was a dark level, and he was thankful for his darkvision, for going about this level by touch would’ve meant his ending.
There was no telling what this room had once been, for it had been taken from this earthly dimension to portray the habitat of a murderous lunatic. Bodies had been stacked up into a corner, but layering the complete floor. The pile extended to the ceiling, and curved strangely, defying the laws of gravity. On closer inspection, Thondrek realized they had been strangely mended together with a gooey material, and it had been hardened by items of value from all over the tower. There were Erlenmeyer flasks, cloaks, scrolls, maps, weapons, clothes, broken pieces of wood and metal used as fortification to create some sort of nest. And in that crevice of horror lay a bear-like creature, similar, but bigger than the one Thondrek had found earlier. Around the creature, several large, wormy maggots were crawling over and into the bodies of the Sylvari sages; some as large as Thondrek’s arm. The twisted bear was sleeping; a furry ball of darkness nesting as a Queen in its own territory.

Continuing, Thondrek found two more levels. The first was as ruined as the other ones, but suddenly no longer inoccupied. From the lowest level came another one of the twisted bears. It took the stairs with four legs, but as it entered the second level, it took on a bipedal movement and started scurrying through the room. Front paws went over cabinets and opened drawers. Red eyes glowed below dark brows and the long teeth dripped saliva, lips no longer able to close. Its muscles were bulged, and its general build had become more humanoid than animal, with a larger torso with broad shoulders in comparison to its legs. Wicked teeth grew from its back also, bone eruptions in random places. The creature gave up its search and took the stairs towards the twisted nest. As it past Thondrek, its hairs slightly brushed over the Khords face, and they were hard as needles.

Then the creature was gone, and Thondrek moved to the final floor, where he found the double doors where his friends were waiting on the other side. A big lock was set upon it from the inside, but the key was laying in the floor below it, cast aside or knocked away or forgotten in a moment of terror. Turning it slowly in the lock, Thondrek managed to release the doors without a sound. One of them swung open with a soft rusty creak, but then the cool air swept over him once more.

Elessarae was out with the horses when the young sage arrived. She had profusely apologized to Comrade for not knowing of his wound. But he run off to her left side as she had been trying to train him to do and the arrow was low on his hip and she never saw it. She asked that the colt be tended to first, and wound cleansed by her own hands, though she left the healing to those with the magic to do so. She knew enough not to try to pull out an arrow in a direction other than the one in which it went in. As the only way for her to pull it was from over her shoulder, she was afraid of breaking off the tip or of the tip, itself, breaking. Many goblin archers could not afford steel points so they made their arrowheads of flint. Flint could fracture and leave shards of stone in a wound. She had gritted her teeth and rode the whole way back wounded like Comrade. After a time she was able to was push the pain out of her mind, well at least into the background.

Only after Comrade was tended to, did she allow her own wound to be tended. After that she washed and brushed both horses, complimenting them both for their parts in the escape. Indeed Gharion had shown himself to be a superior mount with great endurance. He had shown it from the very start, from the day she rode him to the Capitol of the High King-Emperor of the Elves

The Young Sage told of hwhat had transpired in their questioning. “We need the essence of the Rilma Lotus, an exotic and legendary flower that is said to bloom only when the sun shines at its brightest. It has a healing power that will cleanse the willows from the goblin filth. But we need to locate this flower, and those willows, but we have no idea where to look. We’ve only heard of the Rilma Lotus, and know that it can not be cultivated or tamed, for some reason. Perhaps you could aid us by returning to the village. We believe on of the poisoned willows should be close to it. Return with information as soon as possible.”

Hearing those words Elessarae’s head came up.

“Last night I was camped in a swamp between the Duin Lotersira and the Rilma Duin, with a group of elves and one of them told of a legend of the Lotus of Light. That night, by the fire, one of the elves shared a tale about the area between the two rivers. The legend told of the two spirits of the Duin Lotesira and the Rilma Duin coming together on the stretch of land where the two rivers came closest. Their love sprouted flowers, so special and enchanted, they gave light in the darkness. These plants carried an essence of healing, but only bloomed when the River of Light shone at its brightest. It was said that only then the spirit of the Duin Lotesire could perceive her lover, and that her happiness gave life to the flowers.

Before I left that place this morning, I dug a furrow and placed water from the Duin Lotesira and the Rilma Duin, into the furrow. It was a romantic notion that set me to do it, but the gods move in mysterious ways. Could it be that what I did was to create what was needed for us to reverse the mutant poison?”

“If so we must go back there and search for the flowers. It could be they bloomed this noon, or might bloom tomorrow at noon.”

She looks to the young sage, “You might question the Goblin further. Find out if his name is Frustuuk? The Goblin captian eluded to the fact that Frustuuk had the duty to care for the tree! If he is not Frustuuk, then he might able to tell us about him and even about the tree the Goblin captain spoke of.

“If you could get me the loan of a fresh mount I will lead a small party back to where I dug the furrow and poured the waters.”

She could not think to ask Gharion to carry her back to where they had been that morning, after all he had been through today. Though she did not think she could make Comrade stay.

Geim waited outside the doors with the others. It didn't bode well at all. Quiet as a tome it was, except for the noises made by the party itself. He drew his weapon and stood ready near the doors in case anything busted out of from the tower through the doors.

"Best someone watch the windows up there," he observed. "No telling if something might come out that needs killing.

"Certainly hvey cavey business here. More things to slow us down. Seems the world in set against us getting this mission completed."

Geim mutters to himself. "Ageless Craftsman, hear my request. You know our mission is of vital importance else I would not have come on it, can you give us some help to get this mission completed sucessfully? Knowledge will be found and saved and that is all to the better. Just asking if you would, I don't doubt that you can."

A long last Geim hears and clicking of the key in the lock. The opening acting almost like a megaphone to the slight sounds of a lock openning.

"Be ready lads and lasses."

Each floor seemed out of place. For a wizard's tower there certainly seemed a lack of all things wizardly. Sure there were books and scrolls, papers and trinkets scattered across the tower accented with a myriad of bloody splatters or slain bodies, but what of the glitz, the glow of magical energies? He could find none.

As Thondrek moved lower through the tower, he froze in place when his eyes finally fell across all he had been searching for... and so much more than he had bargained for. The large creature, bear like in base reflection, but with bone shards and feral mutations changing it into something so much more than a once proud animal lay huddled in a nested lair of all things of value within the tower. The creature thankfully seemed asleep, and THondrek had to mentally slap himself for even allowing himself the thought of possibly approaching and plucking an item or two of interest from the sleeping beast's lair. Nay, got friends below that need me. He told himself with a shake of his head as he picked his way towards the stairwell once more to go lower once more.

As he made his way towards the bottom floor, he was pleased to see the scorched remnants of one of the abborations of nature slumped over. At least the wizards had put up a fight. Dying in glorified combat certainly beat being slain while asleep or even worse... cowering or attempting to flee. As Thondrek moved on, he had to freeze once more as a second very much alive boned bear creature moved passed him, the coarse hairs on the creature's back brushing against the Khord's ruddy skin like a thousand needles dancing across it's surface.

With the creature a safe distance past, Thondrek made all haste to the front door where he unlatched the lock from the inside and through open the doors. Standing there still invisible in the entryway. "Looks like the badger was the least of our worries... Two very large, and very pissed off bear's suffering from a similar affliction roam the tower. All the wizard's are dead, but there may still be something of value or information to be learned from the destruction within. At the very least we cannot allow these creatures to possibly roam free. The way is open Bladesinger.. I suggest we make a decision quickly before the creature's decide they want to take in the sunlight."
Stepping outside and Thondrek informed the party of all he saw within, hoping they would make a decision quickly in whether to seal the tower up once more, or enter and try to assist the Bladesinger.

Geim hefts he weapon up ready to follow the others into the tower/. "to bad book learning won;t kill those beasties, says the Rune Loremaster. Knowledge be a good thing to have but it seems all I get to are my weapons and healing you back up."

Noe I am not bemoaning all my knwldge but I guess I could've done a bit more learning with my weppons. Perhaps all this is because the Ageless Craftsman wants me to have a bit less learning and a bit more fighting skills." Geim pauses, "Well, let's get on with it then. Information is what we are after but getting the tower clear of beasties come first." The Rune Loremaster resigns himself to more fighting.

Londelirinen Kingdom
Sylvari village
3rd day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
7:55 pm
The young mage replied to Elessarae’s mentioning of the goblin with an expression of a kid caught with its hand in the cookie jar.

“There won’t be any more questioning the goblin, I’m afraid. When I said it cracked, I wasn’t speaking in a figurative way. The senior mages had no patience with the creature. But they were certain they dug up all the information the goblin could possibly have.”

The young wizard turned and called a guard. After a quick exchange of words, the guard ran off. The mage spun his attention on Elessar again.

“We will get you a fresh horse, and one of our guards will accompany you on your trip. We cannot afford to lose more of our manpower. I sure hope this story you heard is more than just a myth. We need that flower. Or some other form of cleansing that works fast.”

The guard that had run off returned seated atop a black horse with a hide that glittered with pride. In her hands she held the reigns of a second steed, without rider. Elessar herself could feel the weariness of the day take its toll, but she climbed the mount and led the way. The guard and Comrade, as expected, followed closely.

Swiftly they travelled south, their hooves-fall a thunder in the quiet forest, rolling steadily along the road. As to accompany the storm of their journey, it began to rain, slowly at first, but with growing drops. With barely a pause they travelled deep into the night. Flashes of close lightning illuminated the path occasionally.
Little before midnight they arrived at the place where the encampment had been. The Sylvari travellers were gone, and only with her trained eye could Elessar see the traces of their stay. Yawning, she searched for the spot where she had dug a hole with her dagger and mixed the waters of both rivers. Although it should’ve been easy to find, the bladesinger’s sleepy mind could not recall the exact location. The Sylvari guard assured her that it was better to rest, and continue their search in the morning. And so it happened.

The next morning they woke up from Comrade neighing loudly. They found him a little up ahead in the swampy forest. He was standing over a little puddle, and in that puddle stood a small plant with bright green leaves that lay on the water surface. It was an abomination to the disconsolate and misty bogs, a small beacon of hope in a land of sorrow. A little bud crowned the thin stem that grew out of the puddle. It was only a matter of hours until it would bloom.

(OOC: You’ve found the Lotus, and if you wait until midday, when the river of Light is at its brightest, it will bloom up before you. What you do with it then is the question of course. Good job remembering the flower-story, btw.)

---

Alloryen Kingdom
The Exaulted Tower
2nd day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
5:21 pm
Thondrek was out of the tower, and before his companions’ eyes he blinked a few times, and was then back at full visibility. He had managed to get out of the tower fast enough for the spell to last. To think what would’ve happened if the magic had waned off when the bear creature was at him.

He quickly recited what he had seen in the tower, and before any of them could react, Geim stepped forward and declared his will to test his blades.
Lady Quilanday the bladesinger looked at the Khords, then nodded.

“We cannot be certain there are no survivors. There might still be information to be found, and indeed, those two bears need to be put out of our misery. I’m going to enter the tower, but I cannot ask you to join me. If you do, it will speak for your bravery and I will be eternally grateful. But you do realize these are no normal bears. I have heard stories of this affliction, and if they were able to lay down a tower full of wizards…. you get my point. Are you with me?”

(OOC: this is a very serious question, since this might very well mean the end of some of your characters. It will be a HARD battle, and indeed no badger that you can overpower easily.)

Loda waited outside with the others. Thondrek had been in there for a while and now was wondering if he was ever going to get out. But as soon as those thoughts came into her head, a faint clicking sound could be heard and the doors flew open, but nothing was there. Moments later Thondrek appeared, his spell washing away from him.

She and the others listened to his story about what he had seen, and was feeling two emotions right now, but one more prominent than the other. Anger, and resentment. Resentment for the fact that these poor bears were mutated and changed beyond saving, and anger for these beasts to destroy such a great place, and to even exists in the natural world, even though they were once normal. That was the way of nature, unfair and unforgiving. These bears lives were given to them throughh birth, and now they were going to be taken away, just because someone or something had to mess with life. These things had to be killed, or risk infecting the rest of the forest.

“We cannot be certain there are no survivors. There might still be information to be found, and indeed, those two bears need to be put out of our misery. I’m going to enter the tower, but I cannot ask you to join me. If you do, it will speak for your bravery and I will be eternally grateful. But you do realize these are no normal bears. I have heard stories of this affliction, and if they were able to lay down a tower full of wizards…. you get my point. Are you with me?”

Loda looked at the Bladesinger, then Gothard. They both stared at eachother for a moment, and knew what they both needed to do.

" Lady Quilanday, I will join you in defeating these beasts. I cannot let them foul up the land with there infection upon the land. Even if I fall, my god will know it was for a good cause that any druid would take up the moment they get. Gothard and I will be at your side, either slaying these beasts, or being apart of their nests."

Loda looked at Gothard, and him back at her. She took out her ale skin, but not just any. A very fine, aged skin, meant for the best of times, and this was as good as any.

" Well old friend" Loda said with a smile, " I cant think of any better situation. Heres to it." She raised the flask and sipped slowly from it, drinking and savouring the home brewed ale. She parted it from her mouth, and happily let Gothard lap up as much as he wanted. With a mere mouthful left in the skin, she returned it.

" We'll save that for when we walk out of this place, just to make sure we're not dead."

She looked back at Quilanday, and her group, waiting for what the rest of them will decide upon.

(Almerin, i'll get ya a spell list that I will have prepared.)

Somewhat refreshed by sleep Elessarae patted Comrade and glowingly commended him on his discovery.

"You are a gem among Moodsteeds," said Elessarae as she treats Comrade to a bracing massage to help him recover from his long travels. "You have found the fabled flower that will heal the infected animals of the forest."

Then Elessarae prepares to stand guard over the flower until the sun in high in the sky and the flower blooms. While she watched, keeping alert for any thing that might be lurking about, Elessarae prays to the Lord of the Forest asking for guidance in what she should do about the flower.

One was to pick the Flower at the peak of sun as it seemingly sweep across the sky., when it bloomed The other was to take a container and scoop up the whole plant, with some of the water, and carry it back to the Tower. If there was no guidance forthcoming, she would follow the first course because that was what the storyteller said was done. The flower was picked when the sun was at it highest over the River of Light.

Vidar searched the room and took what valuables he found and put them in his backpack. The leather scroll he found was somewhat striking. It was pretty much the same drawing he had seen in the cave earlier. What more was that the trademark could be seen on every single weapon on the drawing. Seleta as it was called in the Khordaldrum language. But what shocked the Khord was that the trademark was the same one on all the weapons. Who the seleta belonged to Vidar did not know, that person had long been forgotten by name. But why were the fishmen interested in weapons created by that person. Vidar had always assumed it was a Khord who forged Haircutter, but seeing this scroll made him doubtful of even that.

He was however certain that he was getting closer. Countless days and weeks of traveling were finally about to come to an end, or so he hoped. There was no point in stopping now. He needed his shield. If the weapons were here, the shield shouldn't be too far away. Vidar strapped his spear on himself as well as the sheath of his sword and exited into the tunnels with his axe in one hand and sword in the other. He continued the same way he was going and continued looking into other rooms to check if his shield would be there, or better yet, his grandfather's axe.

Alyssia watched as Thondrek appeared from the front door of the tower, the bladesinger's spell expiring to and making him visisble once more.

After her khord friend's description of what lay in the tower the bladesinger spoke, "We cannot be certain there are no survivors. There might still be information to be found, and indeed, those two bears need to be put out of our misery. I’m going to enter the tower, but I cannot ask you to join me. If you do, it will speak for your bravery and I will be eternally grateful. But you do realize these are no normal bears. I have heard stories of this affliction, and if they were able to lay down a tower full of wizards…. you get my point. Are you with me?”

"If the Mistress is willing," Alyssia spoke up in kind, "Then I shall make it through this tower alive, but I will never turn down a chance to better the light."

Alyssia stood in her place as she awaited the replies of the others. Her eyes spoke of the determination that was anchored into her soul.

He had been standing outside the village, away from the others, as was usual, when Alyssia approached the dark garbed man with eyes that shone like a demons.

"What is it that truly bothers you?"

Draven eyed the woman with a sneer that reminded her of a snarling animal. Clearly this she would need to tread lightly.

"Leave well enough alone, priestess. Be thankful you're not a part of it."

Alyssia glanced up at his eyes, as intriguing as they were, and moved her hand to brush a few strands of stray hair out of his face.

"Why do you refuse to let anyone close? A single trusted soul may do much to ease your pain."

Draven remained motionless, his eyes fixed on hers as she brushed a strand of hair from his hard face. When he spoke, his voice was a growl, but it was softened somewhat, almost remorseful.

"My pain was earned, and I don't need help to bear my own burden. If you seek to heal me, you're a lifetime too late."

Tearing his gaze from hers, he thrust his hand into his coat and withdrew his flask for a swig. He was becoming fairly certain he would need a refill very soon.

"You know," Alyssia spoke to Draven as she eyed the flask in his hand, "that does not rid you of any pain. All it does is hide it beneath a wall of alcohol. And I believe we each come into each others lives at the right moments. Perhaps, you had to suffer your wounds to learn from the mistakes that brought it onto you. And now, it may be the time to let it go.

Draven drank deeply from the flask, before wiping his mouth and replacing it within his long coat. He looked now at Alyssia, and his mouth was curled in a smirk, but his golden eyes flared with the inner light she had seen so many times before.

"You think my burden is the pain of past mistakes?"

His chuckle was dark. Cold, and he held his gloved right hand out towards her. She had wondered before what it hid.

"This is not the pain of a tortured past, Priestess. My past is dead, and where there is no life, there is no pain. This is an indebted burden, and I chose it."

With his free hand he ripped the gauntlet off, revealing his right hand. The mark that tainted the pale skin of the back of his hand was unfamiliar to Alyssia, yet she could feel...undeniably evil. The swirling, black patterns twirled slowly, vaguely, even on his skin, and she felt as if she were looking in a vacuum, and beyond lay only darkness.

"You cannot help me."

Turning from her, he began to walk away.

Geim looked to the young woman, Loda. "I will be there to back you up with healing and my axe even, Lass. I will drink with you when this is done. I'll buy the first round for all of us." was Geims quick comeback

Then he considered the current problems at hand. "I'd be feeling better about this if we fought from the top down. otherwise we be the ones blocking their pathway out of this tower since I don't think them beasties would be jumping out the tower window. That'll put us right in the most dangerous place and most often giving them a advantage of coming down on top of us. Do there be any chance of getting us all to the top and working our way down."

Remember how big and difficult that badger was to imagine a bear afflicted to tthe same degree waas a daunting prospect.

"If'en there be a way to split them up-so to speak--so we could take one one one at a time would be a good strategy. Divide and conquer is what is said often. I and do think that plan might help us. Let's figure out a way we might be able to do that too. I do not know what spells you finger twitchers have ready today maybe you can let us know since you don't wear you weapons clearly visible."

"Going back to coming down this place if we left the front door open we could push them out of here and bar the door. Once outside we have more options of destroying them without having to go toe-to toe with them. You take my meaning?" Geim finishes and waits for any replys. These be stout honest people, even though they are not dwarves. He was proud to stand beside them. Only the situation was tough that was for sure. They had to find all possible advantages they could use to get them through this because the rall mission needed to be completed

As Malius waited for the return of his ferrets it was not long before both came running back to him quite scared of large things inside the tower.
Then the dwarf Thondrek with help from Loda climbed the walls of the tower and made his way inside.

In what seemed to the Syl to take forever Thondrek finally returned through the towers front door gaining all who wished to enter a way now to do so.
But his telling of the mutated creatures inside concerned Malice as for them to take over a tower of wizards was no small feet.

"Looks like the badger was the least of our worries... Two very large and very pissed off bear's suffering from a similar affliction roam the tower. All the wizard's are dead, but there may still be something of value or information to be learned from the destruction within. At the very least we cannot allow these creatures to possibly roam free. The way is open Bladesinger… I suggest we make a decision quickly before the creatures decide they want to take in the sunlight."

"If'en there be a way to split them up-so to speak--so we could take one one one at a time would be a good strategy. Divide and conquer is what is said often. I and do think that plan might help us. Let's figure out a way we might be able to do that too. I do not know what spells you finger twitchers have ready today maybe you can let us know since you don't wear you weapons clearly visible."

"Going back to coming down this place if we left the front door open we could push them out of here and bar the door. Once outside we have more options of destroying them without having to go toe-to toe with them. You take my meaning?"

Here it was that Malice did add to the conversation his own idea

“Mayhap as Geim has said that would be the better course instead to lure them out here where we have more room to maneuver. Inside those walls we would be hampered in what we could do as a group.”

As he awaited an answer he once again closely studied the tower before him trying to visualize its interior.

Londelirinen Kingdom
Land between the Rilma Duin & Duin Lotesira
4th day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
12:11 am
Deciding on seemingly the best course of actions, Elessar held the lotus’ stem between her fingers and broke it from its underwater roots. The leaves trembled for a second, but then embraced the elegant rhythm of the bladesinger’s movement.

The Guard that was sent with her, urged her to take to her horse and return to the Flower Castle. And so it happened.
They sped over the roads, which were muddy but drying already from last night’s storm. In parts of the forest where the trees cast their shadows deeply over their heads, the lotus shone brightly and spread warmth through the cold marshes they passed. Since it had been picked, the lotus seemed under a fever, growing slightly in temperature and burning energy rapidly in an attempt to keep its brilliance. But the ride was long, and after a while, Elessarae noticed how the flower was gradually ebbing away its radiant appearance. When they finally arrived at the castle, the lotus only shone with half the brightness it had when it was fighting for survival.

Quickly the mages of the Lote-Ishtel took over the plant, and brought it to their labs, where they would pulverize it to drain it of its oil. The young mage, whose name Elessar still didn’t know, attended her again and informed her that though the lotus was already dying, his seniors deemed it useful enough. He informed her that it would take quite a while for them to process the flower and make a good potion. If Elessar was kind enough to wait for the result, she could go to the stable and reunite with Gharion. The mage arranged a special place for her in the tower’s gardens, where she could rest with her two steeds. It was a beautiful little patio, surrounded by bushes and the first flowers of Fall, where the bladesinger was brought food and even the company of a Sylvari painter, who asked to draw a sketch of the warrior, which he would later turn into a portrait.

Over an hour after she had arrived, the young mage came back to her, and told her that an ointment had been made from the lotus’ essence. He carried a little vial that he showed Elessar. It contained a clear oily liquid.
The question seemed to burn on the young mage’s lips. Would she be willing to take two guards and a mage to the village, and apply the oil to the poisoned tree?

---

Alloryen Kingdom
The Exaulted Tower
2nd day of the 8th month: Temoth Ore
5:22 pm
Lady Quilanday grinned eagerly at all of them. There was a trace of joyful anticipation in her eyes as she looked at each of the adventurers.

“I’m glad that’s your answer, good people, because I would’ve hated to go in there alone. Still, I would have. I need that information, for the sake of more than just our Sylvari nations.”

It was clear that they would take the fight against these twisted bears outside. But luring a bear from its lair is a hard thing to do. They would need a plan.

“Anybody have some suggestions?” the bladesinger asked.

---

Inhabited Cave
South-west Chakran Mtns.
28th day of the 7th month: Pfier
0:02 pm
Vidar continued his journey through the caves of the fishmen. Though they looked natural, there were certainly some parts that had been altered slightly by rough tools. None of it matched the Khordish craftsmanship of Khordal, the underground capital of all Khordaldrum society. Yet, there was something almost touching in the idea that these fishmen weren’t as barbaric as they seemed. It appeared as if they tried to live a decent life, but didn’t find the quality to do so.

The tunnel rounded southwards, and in the curve lay another opening. Vidar listened closely but couldn’t hear any sound from the dark crevasse. Slowly he tip toed closer, and peered inside. His darkvision betrayed what his nose perceived with a punch. A foul smell smacked Vidar in the face, and his eyes started watering from the blow of disgusting odour. The room was filled with old fishbones and leftovers from what even the fishmen didn’t deem edible. But there was more: old rags, bones that looked humanoid, a few goblin spears and pieces of a ribcage that was large enough to house a party of Khords. Everything was damp, soaked and mouldy to the core. Somehow the smell remained in this room, and didn’t go outward into the rest of the tunnels.

Vidar suddenly became aware of the sound of pacing feet in the tunnel that lay ahead of him. Perhaps a fishmen patrol? By the sound of it, the warrior guessed there was more than one pair of feet approaching.

(OOC: What’re you going to do? Go back, or hide in the foul room? Search the foul room? Description please.)

For a moment or two Vidar followed the tunnels. They seemed to have been worked on a little, but it wasn't well done and hard to notice without knowing such things as Khords know stone. Then a foul stench caught Vidar's attention. The smell was strong enough to force tears into the Khord's eyes. It looked like a storage where all kinds of foul fish and leftover were kept. There were bones from creatures smaller than the average Khord, and from creatures larger than a company of Khords, and from many creatures of as many sizes in between. There were weapons there, but even with but a glance most of them seemed useless.

Then the Khord heard a sound of someone walking towards the room from the opposite direction. Vidar heard there was at the very least one, but chances were that they were two or more. Vidar was in no shape to fight many of them, and as much as his pride told him that he could take all of them, he himself knew better. He quickly hid behind the pile, which was hard enough because of the foul smell. He quickly looked over the pile to see if there was anything in it that he could use as a shield, and then he waited for a better view of those fishmen who were coming.