I knew Bella was trouble the moment I saw her. In an attempt to gather Druids to Kalaman, I have apparently broadcasted a message that there are suckers here willing to help anyone with a sob story. Hers was a pretty good one though. Damn. A corrupted tree that was once The All Tree, a bastion of strength in service to my God Chislev. The corrupted All Tree was now at risk of releasing a shadow dragon with the ignominious name Viranna the Corruptor. If that wasn't enough, maybe we could also save some foolheaded historian named Ramesh.
The Linebreakers, though still newly formed and a bit fragile in the "mutual trust" department jumped in to help immediately. We planned a few detours to take care of other requests but it seemed like there was plenty of time. One of our little side ventures turned out to be critical. In an attempt to break a blockade on our way to fix the corrupted "All Tree" we fought a pitched battle against some of the dragon kin. A valiant but savage battle where our sneaky kinder came in extremely handy to reduce the ranks of our enemies before they even knew we were there. Most important - we were able to rescue Cudgel. Badly injured and missing an arm, Cudgel was in a bad way and we thought hard about how to proceed.
After some discussion, we decided to push forward. Though there were rumors of clerics of real power hidden in Kalaman, we decided our best bet would be to recover the All Tree and see if we could heal Cudgel with the power of the tree. I prayed long and hard to Chislev, hoping it was the right decision. In the end, choosing between a return to a city and a jaunt into nature was pretty clear. The others agreed though I am not sure if any of us thought Cudgel could make it that far.
At the All Tree, we found it was in perfect health and even surrounded by frolicking animals. We didn't trust it and everyone began experimenting. Quickly we found that none of it responded as though it was really nature - not talking to the animals or performing druidcraft. Eventually we found the illusion for what it was and saw the horror of what the All Tree had become. Corrupted indeed! We all took turns exploring, reviewing the tracks, and interacting with the animals. Yaevinn, Al, Oskar, and Katt all put pieces of it together. Identifying tracks that disappeared into a tree. Katt picking up animals to change their shapes. The others putting the right animals down at the spot where the tracks disappeared. I was pretty sure they had all completely lost it and was looking for a way to climb the tree when they hit on the right combination and opened a door! Quite extraordinary this group.
We skulked around the inside of the tree, coming across odd sounds, a very strange person named Izos singing to his owlbears, and then finally, the enemy! Springing into action we cut a number of them down. The power of Chislev kept everyone hidden until the last moment so the cultists fell easy. Too easy. We stopped and found the remainder surrendering and afraid. With horror we realized they were all under a spell. These were corrupted elves and followers of Chislev, not real cultists. It was too late to save Ranerith, one of the cultists needed for their great ritual. However, we did learn that they were all attempting to "save the tree" while in fact were preparing to release Viranna the Corruptor onto the world. We could not let that happen. I pressed the symbol of Chislev against their foreheads and freed a couple of them. Maybe. Does unconsciousness count as being freed? Oh, and we found that idiot historian Ramesh. Not that he was much help. He had apparently already lost the Skull of Restoration and was happily ready to become a sacrifice in the ritual. We brought him along with us but left him with Cudgel when the going got rough.
After much exploration, we came across a hidden doorway still protected by Chislev's magic. With her holy symbol I was able to cast a ritual and slowly work through the magic to open the door. Truly Chislev is with me and all my rituals are destined to work perfectly. Behind the door we found a wonderous room with an illusion of the night sky. Oh, and a skull. Bob the skull to be precise. Yaevinn figured out how to get Bob the Skull up onto the fake moon so he would answer our questions. Thankfully, Bob filled us in on a lot of our missing details. Viranna had indeed corrupted this once wonderous place and was now using the inhabitants to free her shadow form. The skull was critical but we found that there was another artifact in the tree. The Crown of Thorns. Though time was short, we had determined that with the Crown as well as the Skull we could restore the tree. Or make a Wish, like for a different colored shirt for Oskar or something. I voted for the tree.
As we explored, my companions once again proved their excellence. We carefully explored each floor and finally found a room with a great dead willow tree and various pools. I found one of the pools quite restorative. A long drink of the cool clear water (still not sure why everyone was shocked I drank it) and a brief dip was so refreshing it convinced everyone to eventually take part. My companions destroyed the dead tree for some reason and found that it held a key. We explored another muddy pool and after draining it (nearly killing several of us with a fall, saved only by Oskar's quick feather fall spell and our excellent reflexes) found the location of the crown. We also found a nifty broach along the way with the familiar crescent moon and feather of Chislev. I admit to being impressed by the crown, but I really really like the broach. My friends let me keep it. I'll have to do something nice for them. Except for Al. He still owes me money. It was nice of him to stay up top and hold a rope for us though. OK, maybe something a little nice for Al. I'll make him a potion or something. Once he can afford it.
Back to the story! Al unlocked an impossible lock that stumped even Katt's impressive skills. This let us sneak up to the top where the cultists were gathering their willing / corrupted sacrifices and readying the ritual. Katt and Yaevinn snuck in but Oskar cleverly called attention to himself to help the rest of us up. It is still unclear to me why they immediately saw me and referred to me as another sacrifice. They must have misunderstood Oskar. Bad luck that as it meant that the battle was upon us. Donning the crown in the hopes it could help somehow, we found that it shed a bright light. Where the light extended, the corrupted cultists had their minds returned! It looked like this would be an easy fight after all. That is, until the shadow dragon appeared.
Viranna the Corruptor appeared in a shadowy mist. There was nothing incorporeal about this beast though. With a mighty roar, it unleashed its breath weapon. I reached for my trusty Absorb Elements spell and realized in dismay I had not chosen it for the day. Viranna's breath washed over me and all went dark...
A moment later, the sweet taste of a goodberry woke me up. I just caught sight of Katt running off after saving me and noticed Oskar somehow still on his feet. He too had taken the brunt of the dragon breath and had a grievous injury to his face that looked likely to scar but was definitely still in the fight! OK, I think the Line Breakers are definitely gaining in the "trust" department. My companions were streaming forward to surround Viranna. I turned into a bear wearing the Crown of Thorns and charged into battle to join them. Viranna raked claws and bit viciously, but we wore here down and eventually put her down for good. Victory!!
We brought Cudgel and Ramesh up from the room below and spoke with the newly released druid Ciris. Through testing, we determined that removing the crown and allowing the light to die would immediately corrupt these poor souls again so we decided to perform the ritual straight away to save the tree. In my hubris, I called out to Chislev and began the ritual without proper study or meditation. I had felt certain that my devotion would be enough to banish the corruption. I was wrong. Instead, I nearly killed the tree entirely, preventing the ritual from ever working. Much chastened in my own heart and embarrassed at my own ineptitude I turned once again to the other Linebreakers. Oskar stepped up and spoke with Ciris. They agreed to let him study for a few days and to try the ritual again. Ashamed, I escaped to a quiet place to pray, meditate, and reflect. I must grow stronger before trying something like that again. In the meantime, I focused on Chislev's teachings and began crafting healing potions. That kept me busy while Oskar studied.
In the end, Oskar joined with Ciris to perform a flawless ritual. In awe, I watched a man of science complete the ritual and save Chislev's tree. I watched on, truly humbled. The tree was saved. Cudgel was made whole. The cultists had their minds permanently restored and the dragon was dead. With my friends, now closer than ever, striding next to me. We headed back towards Kalaman. As we walked, I continued to meditate. The power of Chislev was once again growing stronger inside of me. New strength. New spells. She still believes in me! I will not let her down.
- Silverload