Title: Truce of the Treants
Characters: Dert, Arkhan, Corrin
Date: Late Trilan, 1332 Avard
Synopsis: The ME team investigating ruins in the Rakoran Forests helps out a small group of poisoned treants.
Meridian Explorations Archives, Volume 2, Page 212.
On the 22nd of Trilan, 1332, Greff was laid low investigating the ruins of Joshua Atterley's plantation in the Alsavier Duchy. The plants within the ruins are considered exceedingly dangerous, and Greff's entire team withdrew after their initial investigations. A cactus's spine, unbeknownst to the team at that time, had become lodged deep in Greff's arm, poisoning him. The poison was slow-acting and non-lethal, and once the team was assured that Greff would survive, they left him under the watchful eye of the local elves so that the team could continue their investigation. Warkoran records from 998 Avard indicate that the Orcbane Clan was sent forth in the spring to tear Joshua Atterley's plantation apart. Atterly's harvests were always superb, earning him the ire of those having to pay his prices. When Atterley began to use dwarven slaves to care of his ever-expanding plantation, however, the Warkore dwarves decided to eliminate the Atterley line. The dwarven slaves were rescued from the plantation after a short battle, and Joshua Atterley was hung from one of the trees in his own garden. Unbeknownst to the Orcbane Clan, the key to the success of Atterley's harvests was left there in the garden. Somewhere, Joshua Atterley had found one of the Karatikan druidic staves, giving him considerable power of plants. Atterley then had a mage bind the staff with three iron bands, forcing the staff and all it controlled to Joshua Atterley's will. The staff was left in the garden, its power slowly twisting the plants of the region until the ruins developed a reputation for being haunted. Greff and Corrin triggered the treants and the dryad that had developed in the garden because of the staff. To the woodland guardians, the humanoids were the cause of the iron that was poisoning the staff. Arkhan, wearing metal armor, also triggered the guardians, although to a lesser extent. Dert and his coyote mount Fleabit, and Corrin's silik mount Demon, thus were able to travel into the ruins without difficulty. A dialogue was established in the dwarven tongue, and the team was able to finish removing the iron bands about the staff. They described the Karatikan staff as being made of a honey-hued wood, carved all about its surface with leaves and limbs and smaller woodland creatures. Where the iron bands touched the staff, indentations with rust-red weeping remains. The weeping appears as blood around where the bindings remained, although Corrin indicated that some healing had already begun where the treants had managed to remove the third binding under great pain and duress. The iron bands were described as being manacle-sized, with arcane inscriptions of dominance and command etched into them to a depth of perhaps one-eighth inch. After aiding the three treants and the dryad known as Barselphine, the team was gifted the fountain in the center of the keep. The powers of the staff had, over time, infused the waters of the fountain with powerful restorative effects. The fountain had been carved from a single block of limestone, and had burbling water in it despite no obvious source or outlet. The fountain is simply carved, with a squarish design and rounded edges. Dert informs me that his staff was also infused with a kind of power. Part of the opening negotiations involved the use of Engin peppermints from Takanal. Now Dert's staff grows such peppermints itself, so long as it receives enough sunlight and soil. The staff is of poor quality, and is thought to be the remains of a broken pick or axe haft from the Rakanus midden heaps; now, however, the staff seems to permanently support a number of dark green peppermint leaves, each capable of staving off death when swallowed or used in poultices. The smell of peppermint now presages Dert's visits. The team managed to negotiate a permanent truce with Meridiation Explorations, using our sigil of Meridia. Duke Itaeleran is not pleased by the truce, as it excluded his own elves from the ruins. Hershel has told his grace that he is welcome to send a representative to join the company at any time.
-William Kavris
Date: THU07JUL2011
Dinner was sheppherd's pie. We had leftovers, perhaps because Bill couldn't make it for mysterious reasons. Given the state of affairs last time, we decided that Greff had something of an allergic reaction to the toxin of the cacti, and had to be left alone to heal at the camp while the rest of the team investigated the ruins.
RPG System: Dungeons and Dragons, 4th Edition.
All characters were 14th level.
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