Chapter Seven: Melshaef's Tree and the Crown of Chains

[Captain Hesperus]

"Run away then. Coward.", Otiorin spat the word out like it burned his tongue, "Bria told us much of the Ko. She did not mention how easily their warriors give up in adversity. Perhaps she was ashamed of that fact."


The Half-elf turned his back on the retreating monk.


"Flee into the forest, fallen one, and be lost to eye, ear and memory. All that will remain is the sour scent of your urine-soaked trews. You have already lost your hardest battle, all that comes later will be the slow degeneration of the defeated. That battle you lost was against your own despair. Once you yielded to despair, you ceased to be Ko, ceased to be a man. Scurry off, insect, before some forest denizen snaps you up and makes a snack of you."

 

[Kaerri]

Bren shakes his head at Glider's words and strides forward briskly. Cutting off the monk's path, he stands before him and raises his hand, palm outwards in a "stop here" gesture. "You are both wrong and right, Glider. You were Ko. Briefly, you served the Wee Jas. And you could be Ko once more, if you would only think instead of angst. Listen to yourself! You 'have no idea why' you joined the Wee Jas. That is because you didn't. You were under the curse of a powerful magic item, one that stole your will from you. You didn't choose to attack innocents; the Wee Jas forced you to it. And their control was imperfect, for at the last, you regained control just long enough to allow me to knock you out and end their rampage. Moreover, when you awoke from that, your first thought was of those very innocents; your first action was to save them from a terrible afterlife!" His blue eyes, so like his father's, soften. "That is not the act of an evil man, and well you know it. Give over your pride and guilt and let your wisdom guide you. Yes, pride! You are so sure you know what's to be done that you are making such a grave choice on incomplete information, refusing even to hear those who only wish you well." He lowers his hand and angles it slightly, holding it out in entreaty rather than in command. "If you will not trust our advice, go to my father in Summerset. You remembered him, even when you were lost to yourself. Trust Killane to set you right, however it ends. You know he will not guide you falsely." He smiles. "But for now, come out of the rain. We won't let up until you agree to that much, at least."

 

[Purr]

Glider nods to Otiorin. His tone is not insulting. "Look. I don't know you. Perhaps killing helpless men, women, and children comes easy to you? I'm used to saving people, not murdering them or standing by while they weep for mercy. I'm just so damned confused! I can wound or outright kill a party like yours. My evil might hurt you if I stay... I'm sorry; I can't explain it."


Then Glider stops as Bren physically stands in his way. At first, Glider does not appear to know what to think when Bren speaks. This time, Glider's reply is full of determination. "What?! What do you mean I was under a curse? What magical item? What are you talking about?" Bren has Glider's fullest attention. The powerful monk stares in disbelief... and something in those magnificent blue eyes rekindles...


Sabrefang tromps through the mud and raises a paw toward Glider. "Brendoran is right! This makes no sense! You save Luna's very being, go to the Shadow World, face Forboda alone, return to me ten lost souls, and you think you are evil?"


Bria straightens in surprise. Then she runs over to Bren and gives him the biggest hug she can give a friend. "Oh, Bren! ThankyouthankyouThankYou!!" She whispers with great urgency. "Let me go and get it! Once he sees it, I bet the puzzle in his mind will be solved! May I? I won't touch it!"

 

[Kaerri]

Bren smiles down at Bria. "Of course, but be very careful, hmm?"

 

[Purr]

Bria literally bounces up and down at Bren's reply. "Yessiryessiryessir!" The peaceful Ko monk turns to Glider. She looks up at him with a desperate smile and holds his hands in hers. "Do you trust me?"


"What?! Little Rainbow, of course, I trust you! What kind of silly--"


"Then stay right here!"





Glider stands right there. Bria darts off down the trail as fast as her enchanted footwear can take her.


"Promise!"


"I promise!" Glider immediately puts his hand over his heart.


He speaks softly and scratches his head. "Curse? Which one? Not a Helm of Alignment Change; I'd be attacking you right now if that were the case. But aren't I evil? I haven't handled any intelligent weapons... Drunk no potions... I have a very strong mind against enchantment magic..." He continues on with all kinds of possibilities, none of them sure.


In what feels like a very short time, Bria comes running back down the trail at top speed, but her hands are empty. Behind her, running on his hind legs is Powerpaw. In his forepaws, he is easily carrying a medium-sized metal shield - a very bent medium-sized metal shield. Upon it writhes the Crown of Chains... Powerpaw runs up and carefully deposits crown and shield on the trail before you as the rain hammers down...


"Hai guyz!"


Glider sees what Powerpaw is carrying and suddenly puts himself between it and Bren as swiftly as if it were a devil from Hell. He drops into fighting stance. "Bright Heavens! The Crown of Chains! Where did you get that?!"


"From the top of your head!"





"Oh my..."


Glider gasps and staggers like a man suddenly wounded. His eyes do not blink as the full realization of the situation slowly and surely dawns upon him. Glider speaks slowly and coldly then as if reciting. "'No hope exists for he who dons that black headpiece... he is utterly possessed, his mind dominated... no majesty except the foul will of the Wee Jas... worse still, the wearer has no knowing of that which he wears. He believes his every action is of his own creation, every sinful deed given birth from his own doing. Through Wee Jas comes insidiousness incarnate.'"


Glider glares at that crown, the pinnacle of evil enchantment among Wee Jas's own, with terrible anger and the utmost resolve. "You..." he takes a step toward it.


Then an unearthly voice shouts out from the Crown of Chains. It is commanding and calculating. Just hearing it brings a strange pain to your ears. "No, this is but a dream, Great Master of the Ko! These are not your friends, but doppelgangers who trick and pull at your mind! Return me to my rightful place, destroyer of golems, doom of giants, and we will be as one again!"


"You..." Another step.


"You have no hope without me! You cannot harm me! I am indestructible! Instead destroy these cruel deceivers who would twist your heroic heart! Think back at all the good we have done together!"


Above the crown, Glider sets himself into fighting stance again and raises his open palm in a highly-practiced manner. Everything about him tells you that he is intent on destroying Wee Jas's Crown of Chains... Bria huddles close to Otiorin while Powerpaw watches on from his mother's side. Even the old dragoness Sparkle is so caught up in the moment as not to speak, but instead to witness...


"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!"


What do you do?

 

[Sherwood]

Luna struggles to call forth dune hidden nugget of information about the Crown of Thorns. "Bren! Bria! Sparkle! Do any of you know how to stop the Crown of Thorns for good? We must find a way to free Glider from its grip!"

Spoiler

rolling a Knowledge: Arcana check to see what comes to my mind

[dice]18904[/dice]


Adding in a Action Point, because this is kinda important


[dice]18905[/dice]

 

[Purr]

Spoiler

Keep the Action Point, Sherwood. No need for it this time. =)


The Crown does not appear to have defenses against one such as Glider...


"Um," Bria gulps, "I think he's about to do that all by himself... Glider... is known for breaking things when he hits them. Does anyone have anything against him destroying the Crown of Chains?"

 

[Sherwood]

Luna steps back a few paces. "No. I had actually planned on looking into how to destroy that vile thing once we got to the city. If Glider can do it without harming himself or others, that may be what he needs to start to walk the path of the Ko once more."

 

[Kaerri]

Bren spreads his hands. "None whatsoever," he replies to Bria's question. "I'd expect that will stop its effects quite nicely." He nods to Luna. "I, too, had been planning on finding ways to destroy it when we reached Highwind."

 

[Purr]

Glider does not take his eyes off of the Crown of Chains. Instead, he appears to be waiting for the rest of your team to voice their opinions.


In the meantime, you could swear the evil headpiece is trembling...

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin groaned out loud.


"Damn my ears, I forgot about the Crown's magics. He didn't know he was wearing it!", the Half-elf sighed, "I am a fool indeed."


As the furious monk stood over the dread artefact, Otiorin could find no reason to prevent its destruction.


"End it, Glider of the Ko, destroy that cursed circlet and free not only yourself, but future victims from its thrall."

 

[Sherwood]

"Do it," urged Luna. "Don't let that wicked thing hurt another soul."

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Leonard Wolf - The Ranger

Shape: Human


Spell 1: Delay Poison


Spell 2: Entangle


Favored Terrain: No


Meat or Fish: Meat


Preferred Dice: Black or Red

One thing happens after the other, and it all culminates with Glider looming over the Crown of Chains poised to strike by the time Wolf finally snaps out of his stoic demeanor. There wasn't much to say, not much he needed to say anyway, given the involvement of the others, but now... Now he is brought to life.


"To destroy it, yes... Understandable. Recommendable, even, under the circumstances." the ranger speaks while simultaneously stepping forward. He moves close to Glider, closer to him and the Crown than the others stand, and stops just there. His voice brims with a mixture of curiousity and fascination. "And yet... Is that really wisest? Could it not be put to other use, perhaps? Examined, repurposed, remade? I myself know little of it, but... It does catch one's eye, doesn't it? I have never seen anything like it."


His hazel eyes drift thoughtfully over the Crown of Chains, as if captivated, though accompanied with a judging frown.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

"Friend Wolf,", Otiorin said with a warning tone in his voice, "beware of such words when speaking of this accursed thing. This is not some bauble or trinket gifted by a lover on Midsummer's Eve, it is a monstrous creation forged in the very heart of darkness and infused with the dire will of a God so evil that it is as boundless as the ocean. This thing cannot be repurposed, cannot be put to better use than that its creator intended, regardless of the honeyed words that drip from it. Turn back from your purpose, brother Ranger, lest it ensnare you and make a slave of you as it did to poor Glider and many more before, doubtlessly."

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Leonard Wolf - The Ranger

Shape: Human


Spell 1: Delay Poison


Spell 2: Entangle


Favored Terrain: No


Meat or Fish: Meat


Preferred Dice: Black or Red

"Hm?" Wolf turns towards Otiorin as if distracted, even though he was just speaking to presumably everyone who could hear him. "That sounds... Worse than I thought. I suppose it is for the best, then. Let us be done with this business quickly." He eyes the Crown suspiciously. "No shortage of uncanny treasures where we're heading anyway, right?"

 

[Captain Hesperus]

"Aye, and plenty of other treasures that will not have you gutting your own loved ones for their own pleasures.", he replied with a nod and a sidelong smile.


He looked up at the skies overhead and spoke clearly, "Wee Jas, twisted deity of hate that you are. If you are as omnipresent as a true god, watch now as we do away with one of your artefacts. Observe this, for it shall be the harbinger of your eventual downfall."

 

[Purr]

Spoiler

Location: The Road of Kings (5 days north of Summerset)


Travel time to Highwind: On day 5 of 14.


Travel time to Melshaef's Tree: On day 3 of 3.


Saturday, September 20th, 1118. Time: 12:30 p.m.


Weather: This.


[media]

[/media]

Spoiler

"And he says, 'I am a man.


A simple man.


A man of colours.


And I can see.


See through these tears.


Tears of a man.


A man of colours.'"


[media]

[/media]
"No, no!" cries the Crown of Chains, but not to Glider - Its words are for Wolf. "Good Ranger! Stop him and I can tell you where your father dwells! Stop him before you lose all you hold dear!"


But Glider does not listen to the words of the Crown. Now that he knows the truth and has heard the voice of the Wanderers, he no longer hesitates. His passionate growl is low and dangerous when he advises, "Cover your ears..."


He uses one hand to shield his face, and then...


"KAI!"


All of the Wanderers bear witness to the destruction of the abominable circlet. Glider seems to call upon some awesome invisible force and bend it to his considerable will. In a wide-legged stance, he brings his entire body, his spirit, indeed his very being down upon Wee Jas's crown in one irresistible palm strike.


It is a display of both incredible skill and devastating power, the kind of thing only read about in magic-filled fables or whispered by wide-eyed sages. Each of you then realize that the strike he performed on Luna's Soul Anchor was a stream from a shower compared to this raging, unbridled waterfall of awe-inspiring energy.


The force of his impact causes the very rain about you to suddenly and violently speed outward and away in every direction. Furthermore, it stops falling for several moments in a thirty foot radius around Glider (encompassing Wolf and any others nearby). Your clothes fly, blasted back; your armor shakes as if in the grips of ogres. Great sheets of grass and flowers bend away as if terrified. Even the closest oak trees, old and deep-rooted, shiver and buckle down to their last trembling leaves.


This is immediately followed by another tremendous explosion and a high-pitched shriek that ends abruptly. The pain in your ears suddenly ceases. The Crown of Chains explodes into many tiny pieces of useless ringlets and shattered symbols. These spinning bits of black debris do not survive long enough to touch the earth, but instead quickly disintegrate into nothingness before your eyes.


Then... all is calm again... as if nothing unseemly had occurred. For long moments, there are only the sounds of the rainstorm lashing down upon the lush trees of Shandra's Evergreen.


Breathing heavily, Glider slowly rises. His expression is stricken with pain and grief like a man whose heart is broken. Plumes of steam rise from his muscular body as the rain falls down yet again upon his near-naked skin. Bria is the first to move to his side. Glider begins to slowly fall to the shocked earth beneath his weary feet, but Bria catches him. She holds him. The plumes of steam fade quickly.


Tears run uncontrolled down his face. His voice croaks. "All this time I thought it was me! Oh, my soul! I thought I killed those sweet people! All this time I've been a prisoner and I didn't even know it! I'm falling apart! Oh, please! Bria-honey, just get me away from this place!"


With a gasp, Bria immediately hustles to him to do just that, but as she helps Glider stagger away, she looks once over her shoulder for a moment at Brendoran.


There in the peaceful monk's gaze is a look of the utmost admiration. It is a look that tells Bren, "You saw what the rest of us didn't. You saved Glider from this cursed despair. You are so amazing." Then, she is silently crying right along with Glider, feeling his pain as sure as if it came from her own heart.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

Leonard Wolf - The Ranger

Shape: Human


Spell 1: Delay Poison


Spell 2: Entangle


Favored Terrain: No


Meat or Fish: Meat


Preferred Dice: Black or Red

Wolf regards Glider's display with the same awe and quiet interest with which he regards everything else in the world that manages to impress him. Once that's done and Glider and Bria start walking away, he pulls Luna by the hand.


"Come, let's get out of this rain." he tells her. "I think we've gotten wet enough for the remainder of this journey."

 

[Sherwood]

Luna lets Wolf pull her along. "I agree. The only water I want to see for the near future is a hot bubble bath."

 

[Kaerri]

Bren sighs in relief as the evil creation is destroyed. When Glider begins to fall, Bren starts forward to help, but is forestalled by Bria, who has the better right anyway. He glances at Otiorin questioningly and motions towards Bria and Glider, as if asking if the half-elf wants to help the two return to the wagon. With Luna and Wolf also returning, Bren then turns to Powerpaw and Saberfang. "Time to go in out of the rain, friends?" As soon as everyone is in motion and he knows no one will be left behind, he suits his action to his words.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin started forward as Glider started to fall then stopped as Bria caught him and shored him up. As she moved him unsteadily towards the wagon, he caught Bren's expression. I don't have the right to assist someone like Glider, a noble warrior who I unfairly abused. He shook his head sadly and trailed along behind the rest like a whipped dog.

 

[Kaerri]

Bren drops back to speak quietly to Otiorin. "Mistakes aren't the end of the world, and apologies don't have to be made in words. Go on and help Bria. She'll understand."

 

[Captain Hesperus]

The Half-elf looked over at the veteran warrior and opened his mouth to respond. He wanted to say that he didn't have the right to intrude between two Ko monks, the one gravely emotionally wounded and the other a peerless healer of all ills. He wanted to say that he should wait to apologise once Glider was better able to appreciate his words. He wanted to say now wasn't the right time.


Instead, he shut his stupid mouth before he swallowed any more rain and jogged ahead. As he caught up with the two monks, he dipped his head and brought it up under Glider's other arm, wrapping an arm around his waist to support him.


"You might be our healer, Bria, but you don't have to keep carrying everyone.", he said quietly, so that only the three of them could hear, "We all want to help."

 

[Purr]

(Pardon the long read, but you're on the Railroad, so choo-choo! =) )

Spoiler

Location: Inside the Wanderers' Wagon on The Road of Kings (5 days north of Summerset)


Travel time to Highwind: On day 5 of 14.


Travel time to Melshaef's Tree: On day 3 of 3.


Saturday, September 20th, 1118. Time: 1:30 p.m.


Weather: This.


[media]

[/media]
"She's been that way since birth," Glider sobs and murmurs to Otiorin. His eyes look far away for a moment like a man reliving memories.


Glider turns out to be heavier than he looks. In moments, Otiorin is able to balance the human's greater mass and weight against his own body. Being this close, the half-elven rogue cannot help but notice that Glider is a human being of truly incredible health. There are life-long fighters, knights, and barbarians who work their whole lives and do not reach this stage of superb musculature and nigh-impenetrable constitution.


Bria's expression is almost helpless in its seriousness. "I can't help myself, dear Rin. It's Glider! We Ko love him like a hero! He's... done countless good deeds, been a natural example of everything we wish to be, he just wanders Sharseya righting wrongs all over hardly ever asking anything in return. We call him the 'One-monk Party'! Gosh, he's the best breaker we've had in generations, he's one of our best teachers," Bria turns her head and looks to Bren, "Glider is the reason Kikko defeated Bren; he taught her how to do it." Then she returns to hugging Glider and, when she can reach him, Otiorin.


"Rin, Glider can do things most of us Ko only dream of. But by his doing, he shows us what we're capable of. We've missed you so much!" Bria kisses Glider with a smack on the lips. That gets a brief grin from him. Bria smiles up to Otiorin, clearly happy that he is lending a hand. "You sure are sweet to help!"


"She's right, you know." Glider glances once to Otiorin, his tears mixing with the rain. "Half-gray, huh? You'd better avoid the Wild Elves." Then he adds. "I... almost believed your earlier words. I almost wanted to. I need a distraction..."


"Otiorin's a good guy, Glider. Really!"


"Oh, Little Rainbow, I know that. You don't just call anyone 'dear.' As for you," he tries to grin at Otiorin but his eyes are reddened and darkened with pain. "I should be apologizing to you. I nearly killed all of you." The thought makes his expression burn with a rage that does not seem to suit his otherwise peaceful-seeming features. "If he hadn't been there," Glider growls and glances back to Bren, looking dejected.


"Gosh. I've never seen you this angry, Glider."


"I've never been this angry, Bria-honey. Never in my whole long life... You don't know how welcome your company is - that goes for all of you. I'd like to get to know you. Help you if I can." He makes no attempt to stop the tears that fall from his face. "That damned Crown of Chains... If I'd only known..."





The walk back to the Adventurers' Wagon seems longer than ever as the Wanderers make the trek through the wet Formorian tracks once again. There, in the gray gloom, each of you notice a large gold and green something before the great wagon. It completely covers the eight great beautiful horses that pull the wagon.


It is a massive tent. There in the thunderstorm, Stewart in his plumed hat and purple cape shivers in the rain while he directs three barking Killer Mimics in helping put the tent up. The team of brown and white horses along with the Wanderers' personal mounts are covered in heavy colorful blankets.


"Lord Sarabina!" Stewart shouts over the rain when he sees you. "The Road of Kings has become a highway of mud! We dare not continue in this foul weather! Please see yourselves inside with..." he gets a look at Glider then grimaces at what his large eyes see... "...your wounded! The Meadowsweets await your pleasure!" Stewart turns down no offered hand of help as the wide tent is carefully planted with the thunder booming about you.


Once the Wanderers take the stairs up and enter the Adventurers' Wagon, you find both Bonny and Whittle at the Grand Pool's fireplace warming great, furry blankets. The Grand Pool shimmers before you, clean, cool, and inviting.


Whittle looks up, gasps at the sight of you, and puts one hand on her hobbit hips. "Oh, blessed be! Just look at you! You look like a soggy litter of kittens abandoned on our doorstep! Well, we will adopt you all! I just knew it was a good idea to ready your baths and have fine cloth robes waiting for you so you could all come out looking and feeling like decent people again!"


Bonabin nods eagerly as he helps anyone who wants a hand getting their armor or other clothes off. "Oh, you feel as cold as a leftover supper! There, there. Off with that cold, filthy armor here and into the wheelbarrow it goes. Clean all that later! Hope you are all in the mood for roast fowl, mushy green peas, spiced potatoes, chicken soup, and other delightful little somethings for dessert! After your baths, of course. Off with you, brave lads and ladies!"


Powerpaw and Sabrefang exchange grins as they help each other with their large-sized armor while drying off with the offered blankets from the fireplace. "I love the wilds here," Sabrefang sighs, "but it is hard to beat living like this! If only your big and brave father were here..." Powerpaw grins widely at that thought.


Bria then takes the staggering Glider directly to her room. Bria graces Otiorin's shoulder with a soft caress and a look of, "He needs me. I need to talk to him alone. Hope you don't mind?"


"Bria-honey," Glider moans. "What are you doing with me?"


"Um... Your spirit is broken," she says casually. "I'm going to help turn you into something resembling the Glider I know and love."


"Oh..." the ragged Ko monk sniffs. "Bright Heaven, that sounds so wonderful..."


A comfortable three-quarters of an hour passes. You are clean, warm, and clothed. In ones and twos, with grumbling bellies, you make your way through the Grand Pool and to the dining room. It is almost time to eat, when someone notices something amiss. Four people are not yet present.


"Someone go get Otiorin..." ( =) )


Otiorin is wrangled out of his luxurious bath by someone and joins everyone. Stewart also finally joins you as he and the Meadowsweets pleasantly deliver one sumptuous lunch to the table.


All of you probably feel a bit transformed given all that you have recently experienced; however, it is Glider that has undergone the largest transformation. When Bria escorts him to the table, the ragged monk you first knew is gone, replaced now by a clean-shaven, bright-eyed hunk-of-a-man wearing a white and gold bathrobe. His black hair with wisps of silver is freshly cut. He smells nice. Above all, you think you see the Glider Bria has adored all this time, for there on his handsome face comes a pleasant, infectious grin. It is such a gentle expression as to be worthy of a painting. A painting, you might say, that the Wanderers helped return to reality. =)


With everyone present at the table, lunch is served. Glider begins lunch-time conversation with the following statement: "So, uh, I might have mentioned I trained people?" He looks about the table. "I learned long ago how to train people of all the basic classes. Each of you seems to have that... aura of readiness, as I like to call it." Glider's smile is just as sunny as Bria's as he opens his capable hands in offer.


"May I train all of you to your next level? After lunch, of course."





(Surprise, Wanderers! =) )

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin smiled at Bria as she took Glider into her room, before choosing a random door to enter himself. Within he found a hot bath drawn with soft fluffy towels abound. He wasted no time in stripping off his cold, wet gear and slipping into the warmth of the tub. Only a couple of minutes, he chided himself as he massaged life back into his chilled limbs. He closed his eyes for a moment and knew nothing until one of the other Wanderers came and called his name. Bleary-eyed but marvellously restored, he wandered out into the pool room, clad in only his bath towel to hear Glider's words.