Acumin's Respite (All Participate)

[Lichen]

OOC: Alrighty, you must ask the mod of your Attack on Dar Havark thread if it's ok to participate just yet. Noll & Tellurion, you can go for it.

IC: Acumin lay in a burning heap of rubble and ashes upon the ground, surrounded by the still smoldering Dolwoods. The screams of terror and pain had faded into tears of agony and petrifying fear, though these left the night far from silent. Smoke filled the air, clogging the throat and lungs and leaving a taint on the soul. An hour was left till sunsrise, and the vysstichi raiders had deserted the raped remains of the village, fleeing before the first rays even touched the ground. From the wretched tower of Dar Havark fled the few survivors of that particular battle, having been overwhelmed in numbers and ability.

The once proud city had been reduced to a mere 23 villagers, most of them injured in some way.. Not all deaths had been experienced in battle... in the cellar where the sickly had been placed, several had succumbed to blood loss and despair.

The tavern, it's windows boarded up with tables and rusty daggers to no avail, smelled like sweat, blood and excrement. The once well-cleaned boarded floor was stained with dark and drying blood. The bodies had been removed from the tavern to join the stinking pyre that had been lit more times this darkening than it deserved. Long streaks of red marked the floor where the corpses had been dragged, and footprints of red marked where those too desolate to care had trod through the gore.

The horrors of the darkening were enough to provide substance of nightmares for patterns upon patterns. First undead, then vysstichi... and the latter attack had been perhaps far worse for the targets had not been slaughtered but taken away to toil as slaves. Using their mind magic, the vysstichi had called the children of the town, out of their hiding places, fooling the distraught younglings into believing that their parents were calling them. The feeble minded and elderly had been beguiled and led away as well, though their corpses were piled up on the ever-burning pyre outside... for what good was a body that couldn't labor? The only ones who had survived were those who were old enough to resist but young enough to not be senile or feeble minded... and so in the town, young teens and preteens were essentially all that were left. All who'd been older had gone off to fight at the tower... and few of them returned.

Mila was one of the few who'd survived her misguided adventure to the tower and now she stood in the middle of the ruined tavern, too tired and guilt ridden to cry any more. Her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were stained from old tears, but she could cry no more. She could barely think. If she hadn't led them all on a crazy suicidal trip to the tower, they could have defended the tavern, could have saved their village, could have protected the injured, the elderly, and the children. Instead, she'd led them all to their dooms on the steep slopes of the tower of Dar Havark.

Turning her eyes to the few survivors, they fell upon the kneeling form of Lehan, the local druid. The green-clothed elf had his eyes closed and his lips were moving in a silent prayer, no doubt to Carmelya. Mila was too emotionally exhausted to even be angry at the reminder of their desertion by the gods, but it did remind her of one thing: the brightening. It had been Kalendryas 25th... Cleansing Brightening. The brightening the vysstichi had originally invaded Acumin, the day they'd been beaten back by the gods and the townsfolk... like they hadn't done this darkening.

Looking up, Lehan saw the tired tavern waitress, her eyes too numb to be haunted and her face too frozen to show pain. She was bereft of all hope, too far gone to even despair any longer. Turning, he saw the same look of absolute numbness and resignation on the faces of many of the survivors. They'd already been attacked twice this darkening... and by the looks on their desolate faces, they were simply waiting for the coup de grace. We have sunk so low that we would welcome the finishing blow. He realized as he looked around him. It would be a release.

Lehan had never been much for public speaking. He was a quiet man, more suited to healing and the pursuit of knowledge than of raising morale. However, the only villager among them who seemed even remotely capable of that tremendous task was him... Mila had failed in her own task and would not be able to inspire confidence in herself from anyone. No, it was up to the healer to do what he could to wipe the look of utter despair off of the faces of his fellow men and women. Carmelya give me the words they need to hear. He prayed silently as he stood up. Give me something to lift them up, something to save their souls from sinking permanently into this utter misery that possesses us all. His prayer was succinct enough, but he would need a lot of help if his words were to be equally so.

As he opened his mouth to speak however, his heart too full of fear and pain of his own to register apprehension, there came a loud rumble from outside the tavern. His own slightly raised hopes, barely above the despair that gripped them all, sank down to the ground with the resonating sound. What could there be now? What new horrors lay in store for them this darkening? What had they done to deserve such pain?

His eyes turned bleakly to regard the new threat, and saw only darkness as his ears registered another rumble and his body felt the effects as it shook the tavern. Someone began to cry with renewed force as the tremors vibrated through the building, and Lehan felt his own hope evaporate and his face freeze in the blank expression that crossed everyone else's face. Undead, vysstichi and now what? Giants? Would they not simply end them all and be done with it? Why so many waves when a simple attack of one army would be far more effective? Bad enough to kill and rape the whole town... must they draw it out so? Lehan's heart stirred enough to register anger at the cruelty of these prolonged attacks.

The next tremor was stronger and soon almost all of the tavern was engulfed in both echoing rumbles and heart-wrenching sobs. "Carmelya save us!" Cried out a woman in fear, echoing what they all felt at the moment. Lehan's own lips began to whisper prayers though he feared that they would never be heard. "Please, Carmelya... save your people. We have suffered enough." Was it vain to assume that they had suffered more this darkening than any had been forced to endure before? If Lehan had been outside of the situation he might have thought so... now, he barely thought about it at all. Each time he thought that the terror and horror had reached it's peak, their attackers came up with a new torture. If there was something worse than this, the apprehension of waiting for certain doom, Lehan did not wish to know what it was.

Another earth-shattering thud caused several of the tables to slip off of the windows, one falling on the leg of a young woman who automatically began to scream in pain. Nobody bothered to help her... they would all be dead in a few moments anyhow, so what was the point? They were all too frozen in their own panicked terror to move to her aid, and her screams were lost in the fear and the sobs of the crowd.

One more thud, and their attacker moved into the line of their vision. Or rather, the leg did. It stopped directly outside the one window uncovered by a table top, and the limited light of the tavern revealed to them their enemy. It was deep brown and carved with vertical grooves. Seemingly useless appendages stuck out at regular intervals, great green wart-like things standing out from each limb. More screams of fear greeted the horrific vision, and murmured prayers began to fill the air as well.

Suddenly tears began to run down Lehan's cheeks, and the young elf began to sob with the rest. He, however, sobbed from relief and not from fear. "Thank you, Carmelya." He whispered brokenly at he stared at the trunk in the window. "Bless you for saving us at last."

If any heard his seemingly odd prayer, they did not mention it, preferring to instead scream as whatever it was stuck great brown finger through the roof of the inn and tore it back with a great thundering roar like it was paper. Shingles and dust fell to the ground in a great rainstorm of debris, and as the dust cleared a great face loomed in to look at them through the hole in their ceiling. Many people fainted, preferring to greet their death unconscious than regard the face of their imminent murder.

It was a dark brown, marked with the same grooves as the leg. These thick creases sprung forth a plethora of the limbs at the top, each one covered with smaller limbs and wreathed in brilliant green. They stretched up beyond the limited view of the hole, obviously ornamental and far reaching in their scope. The great creases in the brown face parted to reveal one great eye as the creature peered into the hole. Blinking and revealing it's eyelid to be as wrinkled as the rest of it, the creature pulled back with a resounding creak, and widened the hole. When it peered through the hole again, it's reappearance greeted by a chorus of screams, two eyes regarded the survivors.

The eyes were large as great serving dishes, and the irises were the deep brown of soil. In these great orbs, Lehan saw such wisdom and eternal kindness that his tears streamed down his cheeks in floods of thankfulness and near reverence. He had been a druid for many patterns now, and the creature that peered at them through the hole in the ceiling of their only refuge represented everything that Lehan's art stood for. No doubt it's appearance had never been greeted with such strange keening and crying and fear... but then again, nobody had ever had an elder Treant slam a hole in their roof before.

The eyes scanned the room for a moment then pulled back and in it's stead, a great arm was shoved through the opening, and it too was greeted by a chorus of now slightly hoarse screams and terror. Due to the branches sticking off of the Trent's arm at regular intervals and the relatively small hole, a great dust cloud of debris rained down on them with the hand. When it had cleared and the arm was finally out of the way, it became clear as to why the hand had been stuck in in the first place. Not to kill them all, but to lift the table top off of the trapped girl. The great face peered back through the hole for a few moments in silence. Well, silence from the Treant... despite the benevolent actions, the creature was still eliciting loud expressions of fear from the survivors.

Finally the horizontal groove in the bark skin of the great creature parted and it emitted a slow rumbling that could barely be distinguished as speaking. Though loud and deep, it was inaudible over the bedlam of noise that the great face was receiving as a reaction to it's presence. When the general crowd finally registered the fact that they weren't being eaten, squished or otherwise harmed, everyone quieted their noise down to frightened but stifled sobs. With the greatly lowered noise, the Trent's words could be understood.

"Whoooo... speaaaaaks for... you..."

[Tellurion Tanendar]

When the rest of the dejected horde of unwashed peasants (For Tal was in a very bad mood and watching that up herself Mila come back completely defeated from an enterprise he thought was utterly pointless anyway, considering the date and the slaver raids) came back to the smouldering husk that was Acumin, they found an elf in the shell of the tavern tending to the last few remnants of the town's population, helping those in the cellar up into the fresher air, giving some of his very much in demand water to the last few youngsters, and generally in a very bitter state.

Tal gave them all dirty looks, but saved his most haughty for Mila, even as he drained the last of his canteen into the mouth of a child. The stump of his ear hurt. His left arm was in pain. His entire body still felt the after effects of a Journeyman's mysticism.

As he listened to the healer whisper small prayers to Carmelya, which his sensitive elf ears could detect, he smiled when he heard the thumps resonating throughout the tavern. Lucky man, he thought amusedly to himself. If only Carmelya would listen to him as well.

So Tal was not at all worried at the approaching footsteps, even though the rest of the tavern was quaking in fear. As a table fell on top of a young lady, his first instinct was to shift it off... but then he realised his left arm was useless for the task. Oh well.

As the Treant murmured its greeting, Tal had a sudden impulse to speak.

"Serale, Sir, and thank you," he said to the Treant, as he rushed over the the woman to offer his help. "I think your summoner wishes to speak to you."

He nodded pointedly at Lehan.

[Duncan Sythe]

Hiding? Was he hiding or was he angry, was it his fault or was it that of the Katta? Or was it the fault of the woman? No, he was the one who had allegedly known what he was doing, he was the one who’d sent them to die, he should have made them wait, he should have gone alone, he shouldn’t have sent so many youths to die against Avanthar’s hoards. He couldn’t even blame the Dracon, it was fundamental self defence, for all Avanthar’s hatred he doubted the Necromancer would kill children without need; the second attack on the other hand? A different matter entirely.

Bloodstained, sweat-covered, clothing dirty again Duncan stood off among the ruins of the town, sure he’d stabled his horse again but other than that he’d dimly faced the fact he wasn’t wanted and kept well away. Entering the tavern wasn’t even going to be a good idea, no warmth, only further reminders. Cowardice, that was it but he deserved it, he could face the hoards of Ratta, the Cyraxian demons and the Magi but those he’d failed? Never.

The wind, probably quite suitably, picked at his cloak and came through the fabric to skin, he shivered, leaning against the broken building, eyes watchful. But then those eyes closed, there was nothing to watch for, nothing left. Head thunking back into burnt stone, memories flashing; or lack thereof. Forests, the other two, the flashes, that was his fight; no danger, no death, he could walk away any time he Aeternia well had wanted. His fight had been a few stupid Ratta scouts, dammit.

Their fight? A hoard of trained men against them, against a rabble led by a bloody incompetent Katta. Fists clenched and unclenched, fingers rubbing rough leather, reaching back onto stone, fist slamming back into blackness as it flaked off onto the glove, not that it wasn’t already caked in dirt and blood. After all you couldn’t stuff a blood covered rag back into a pouch without getting some of it on your hands, metaphorically all in reality and he’d done both. Thought he knew it, thought he knew how to handle it, like Aeternia he did. His fault, all his.

It wasn’t even like they were soldiers, oh sure that damned survivor had been, saved her owned skin, so was he, allegedly, not much of an officer now; a dead town on his hands, or what had been left of it. Nothing but kids now, kids and a few people so distraught they couldn’t do anything. No, they wouldn’t have done anything to him if he’d gone back to the Inn, they hadn’t got the energy but that was hardly the point, they’d want to, they’d want to do something but no, they wouldn’t want to see any more suffering either.

And so the shaking continued as the cold air chilled bones and mind, Duncan slipping quietly down into a hunched crouch, supported only by his back against stone, right hand going to his face, dirt and blood not really mattering against an already quite covered face. Fingers rubbed at the fringe of his hair, eyelids closed, images, sounds, flickering. Screams fuelled by other experiences, visions and an avid imagination born of experience creating the mélange of death and suffering.

Oh he hadn’t seen it but he could imagine it, the realization in the minds of the townsfolk that they’d been misled, way out of their league, he’d known that before but what made it bad was he’d survived, by the fortune of someone saving his stupid life. So what did he do? He messed up, he got everyone killed, some way to reward the break fate had given him that many Patterns back.

The thumping sound from the forest didn’t shake the mood but it did get his attention, instinct drove him to rise slightly to a half-crouch, hand moving from face to sword, it took a while for watery eyes to focus but then he found the Treant and relaxed back into a further, deeper depression. Oh he watched, but head in hands, fingers linked behind his head; a Treant was big but Duncan had seen Cyraxians and such so he wasn’t too worried in that regard, they deserved their salvation; he didn’t.

Gray cloak loose about his shoulders, sword hilt released he sagged back against the stone again, the rough substance digging into his back with abandon. Blue eyes watched the Treant, he was too far away to listen and didn’t bother trying, he simply watched as the town’s true salvation aided it, he wasn’t it, he was just a traveler who’d made things worse.

[Noll]

ooc: heh well looks like we gotta mass evacuation going to happen

ic: The halfling feeling the shuddering thumps immediately thinks giant... now yes most halflings would be afraid of giants considering that they are a delicacy to them but this halfling had met with many giants that did not take part in that delicacy. When tell spoke up the halfling elbows him in the knee then whispers to him " You are HARDLY one to speak for us, if it's anyone it's the healer who summoned him and judging by how you seem to act, if you are even trying to become a priest, you got a LONG time before that happens and an even LONGER time before I let you lay your hands on me for that purpose."

with that the halfling begins reclaiming daggers ignoring the beast, or that is how it may seem, but the halfling keeps one eye on him while he is collecting weapons so that at least if they have to leave they can at least defend themselves.

[Tellurion Tanendar]

Tal felt like doing something violent to the Halfling, who didn't seem to realise he was merely thanking the Treant for his help in taking the table off the wounded woman, and for an extra insult began to berate him for being a poor healer.

"Certainly, sir, especially when I tell the Treant whom exactly to speak to, its summoner," Tal hissed to the halfling beside him, as he began to move to the poor woman, refusing to the the ever so obvious verbal bait. "Healer I am not, but person with courtesy I am. Now will you help that woman over there with me or are you going to gather personal weaponry for your own little crusade, little halfling? or better yet, why not leave her there lying in agony, you thoughtless twit."

With that, Tal began to look at what injuries the woman had sustained, turning his back on the Halfling.

[Noll]

ooc: heh inexperience and ignorance is bliss

ic: the halfling not turning to him said "It would be a fool's quest to try and tend to her when there is an apt healer nearby compared to my meager skills and to move her would only cause more pain, such deeds are best left to professionals while we prepare for whatever comes by being able to defend ourselves rather than sit here with our arses to the wind while 15 or so people tend to one woman, right now we need as many sword arms as possible if there is any chance of holding this tavern if for some deranged reason people plan to make a stand here, it may be a home, it may have memories, but memories are only good to the living. What we need is an army that won't burn itself to death and some way to get the wounded out of the battlefield before they get carted off by those damnable creatures again!" with that the halfling returns to his daggers. "I truly hope that we fare better than your children because unless I manage to recover chances are after tonight my bloody arm will fall off! Now any apt fighters in this group STAY at the inn... we need a fast runner to go for help from the nearby towns and alert them to these events. Unless someone has a better idea..." the halfling states with his voice seeming a little gravelly and his wounded arm is hanging somewhat limply at his side with the bandage seeped in blood.

[Marnia]

Marnia was towards the back of the crowd with her arms folded. Her face was devoid of emotion and expression, only a neutral frown and slightly curved eyebrows. She stood with her back straight, doing best not to make her body look as sore as it felt. Her tail was low and unwavering, her whiskers barely drooped, only her ears seemed to show signs of life and energy; they moved quickly atop her head listening for anything else unusual even though she knew there couldn't possibly be anything more; save perhaps a stampede or sudden thunderstorm.

Her dull eyes seemed to awaken as she picked up a rumbling noise. She had only been silently joking about the stampede. The Katta's whiskers perked up and her eyes targeted the tavern as the source of the noise. Marnia nearly jumped back when the window blocks fell. She spotted the woman who screamed with pain, but was too far away to help her. Marnia wasn't about to try and push through a crowd that was in such a panicked state.

She watched with pure surprise as a living tree simply grew out of the tavern. The Katta stored the memory in her mind, as she tried to shield her eyes in case any debris or dust reached her face. Marnia didn't speak up when the Treant asked the crowd a question, since she didn't really know the answer. She hadn't even seen the druid praying from where she stood.

Marnia's blue eyes darted to a somewhat familiar Elf, she remembered him from the original meeting that caused all of this trouble. His words went in one ear and out the other, she was hardly paying attention. The battle was still playing through her mind. She knew the outcome would be dim, she had accepted the fact. It hit her long before the make shift army of peasants faced a countless army of Ratta. So now she was only numb, both to how everything went so horribly, and to how ridiculous the situation seemed. She hardly seemed grateful for being alive she felt like she should still be fighting the endless wave of full grown rats.

She didn't see the smoothskin Captain, but she didn't want to look for him either. She felt slightly bitter to the man, as if he was supposed to magically do something that he hadn't done. Still, she hadn't met her own expectations either, so the Katta tried to push the annoyance to the side of her mind.

The Tigron didn't treat the large animated tree like a threat; after all, it lifted the table off the woman and didn't seem to intend harm. Besides, what would the point be? It didn't seem likely for a Treant to emerge to kill two dozen people. Her eyes slowly dulled again as her ears perked for further words.

[Lichen]

OOC: This thread is now priority as I want to get it finished. People who've yet to post, feel free to join in as we go along.

IC: "S-summoner?" Lehan stuttered, taken off guard by the outrageous claim. His bright eyes focused on the elf who'd made such a call, and he wondered if the man knew what he'd just said. Lehan Y'las, summon a Treant? And not just any treant, but an elder treant? For most assuredly that was what this great being was... no mere sapling could be so wise or great in size.

The treant didn't seem offended however as it turned it's shield-sized orbs towards the small and rather overwhelmed druid. Again the bark-covered face parted to emit the rumbling noise that served as speech for the enormous creature. "Yoouu..." The elder treant grumbled, sounding almost impatient despite the great length of time it took for it to speak. "Whaat haas... happeenned... heeere?" It's branches rustled irritably as it waited for the shocked elf to respond.

Lehan was a bit more than stunned. Not only was there an elder treant hovering above his head, but someone thought he was powerful enough to call such a creature, and the treant itself was actually deigning to speak to him. Surely a wonderful moment in the young elf's long life, but Lehan couldn't find the words to speak in return. "Uh... ummm..." He stuttered incoherently, his brain too shocked to make a cohesive thought, let alone a sentance.

Too irritated to wait any longer for the elf to speak, the seemingly grumpy treant turned it's great trunk towards another elf, the only one who seemed to be readily able to speak. "Youu..." It rumbled to Tellurion interupting the elf's arguement with the halfling with a voice so low that the elf could feel the vibrations in the center of his chest. "Whaat... haaapenned... heere? I..." The treant paused and there was a rustling so great it seemd as though there was a hurricane in the great creature's limbs, "I... smeeell vyssstiiiichi..." The treant paid attention only to the elf, trying as hard as it could to ignore the incessant talking of Noll . Perhaps a halfling was beneath it's esteemed notice.

[Noll]

ooc: LOL ops muck-up the halfling was pulling daggers while tell went to aid the woman!

ic: Looking up at the treant the halfling says "you should be asking the one who was left here on his own to defend what was left... sadly I failed albeit I was not at my best but still I failed... when I am well enough I will go back and fulfill my promise to those children but for now as far as I know these misguided rabble want to hold the town considering none of them have voiced otherwise. THAT elf (pointing to tell) ran off after his tempermental friend and while they were out doing whatever those damnable cretins struk the tavern... they took on the guise of one of the children's mothers and not knowing anything about this area I went to help the woman considering she seemed to be wounded. After she was ushered inside her form started to melt revealing the cruel visage that had belied a child's trust. That one had been dispatched quite readily but the oncoming wave of those damnable spellcasters that took most of them away I could do little but kill another before they fled to god knows where. Now I care not for these fools who ran off to assault a tower after most of thier defences were destroyed by an undead attack prior to the (insert evil creature thing name here ) attack but it seems that this town had nary a head between them. I could do nothing to stop them considering I was unconcious at the time. So ends that miserable tale, I ask not of you to help me go after the children, I'd have a better chance in there of getting them out undetected than you no offence but your... stature would not get by the guards that easily. And I am not one to make up a pep rally for these sods, it seems that they have already paid for thier folly tenfold and it will probably happen again tonight either the cretins will attack to finish off the last of us topside or the undead will come back. At any rate this lot is finished if they don't get thier act together, even if the assault on the tower was a failure what did you expect... there was an ARMY of undead, you think that they would leave themselves undefended afterwards? Shame and blame aside we need to rest. I would take watch but I fear that I wouldn't last too much longer..." the halfling sighs as he gives up on the daggers, not having the strength to pull them out again. "I highly doubt tha...t.. I.." *Thud* as the halfling finally passes out... there is only so far that adrenaline and sheer determination will take you, as the halfling hits the floor there is a slight squish sound as the bandaged shoulder follows and a little blood squeezes out of the bandage... ANY HEALERS could see that it needed changing a long time ago.

ooc2: HINT HINT!

[Lichen]

OOC: Sorry, Noll - was trying (unsuccessfully) to multitask... I've edited slightly as you were talking while the Treant was (how rude! ) but most of what I missed is in this post.

IC: Noll had missed out on much of the weapons collecting, Tellurion having set directly to that very task and collecting all of the nice items. Very few daggers or weapons returned with those who came home... it seemed the inept villagers had managed to save their lives by dropping weight when running away. Those few that still had rusty daggers and badly hammered axes were gripping them tightly; after having been attacked twice in one night and now seemingly a third time, nobody wanted to be far from something sharp and/or pointy.

The Elder Treant looked down at the noisy halfling, his bark-lined face twisted in something that was clearly irritating. It had not asked for personal accounts or details, but the rude and somewhat abrupt halfling had given him the information he needed, and far more. The great creature sighed, the exhalation rustling its leaves and sending lighter pieces of debris flying. "Vyssstiiichi..." It rumbled as a summary, trying to glean the more important bits from Noll's overly long speech. "Maaage vyssstiichi... undeaad... atttaacks..." While it was hard to tell if there was indeed expression in a rumble, the Treant seemed to be thinking. Maybe this impression was given off by the five minutes of silence that followed the small digestion of the large speech. Meanwhile, Noll passed out and fell to the floor. Lehan, stunned out of his reverie by the thud, quickly rushed over to the halfling and began to tend his wounds. While Noll probably wouldn't wake up till everything interesting was over, he would still wake up... eventually.

Eventually, the treant spoke again, this time seeming far less questioning and far more decisive... informative, even. It's voice increased in volume as if the importance of it's words could only be conveyed by loudness. "Carmelya... seeeent mee heeerrre." Lehan hadn't summoned the Treant... it'd been sent as a sign from Carmelya, a messenger perhaps. "Sent to... saaave town. Saave town ... froom vyssstiichi." Someone in the crowd murmered that the treant had been a bit too late for that and the Treant swiveled one great eye to rest ominously on the person. The fact that an eye the size of their chest was fixed on them quicly subdued any further heckling, and the Treant continued. "Noot froommm thiis... attaaack. Frrooom neext attaaacks. Vyssstiichi... waant theeir hoomme baaack... Carmeellya... seennt mee... to stoop... themm." The treant paused again. It seemed to be quite good at that and indeed, unable to speak without the great long pauses. "I... musst goo nooow."

With that rather hasty reply, the treant suddenly disapeared from the makeshift skylight and it's great head was replaced with only creaks and smoggy skies. They heard and felt the thundering steps as the treant began to stomp away... either its task here was done, or it had to go off into the dolwoods to take a pee.

[Tellurion Tanendar]

Tal felt rather hurt by the halfling's rather brusque dismissal of him, but he figured why not? He wasn't the one depserately trying to protect the children from insane Vysticchi until he'd gotten back to the tavern. So it was only with a slight hint of amusement that Tal smiled when the Halfling keeled over... Daggers still in hand. Serve the little idiot right, he thought to himself, savouring the moment.

Which reminded him...

His vision dimmed slightly, and Tal sagged against a wall to make sure he didn't fall in a similar incident. Which brought his shoulder into contact with the hard surface. Luckily, the pain kept him awake for long enough for his mind to take back control, and the room came back into focus. As the treant disappeared into the wilderness, Tal calmed himself down, then peered into the forest, looking for the tree like creature.

He turned and looked at Lehan. "Nice." he remarked, smiling ruefully.

[Lichen]

The huge creature wasn't very difficult to see despite the dim light - it's gargantuan form was clearly visible against the night sky. It was like a large landmark, only mobile. As the elf peered out of the tavern, he was joined by a few of the more brave villagers who looked out hesitantly with him. Together they watched as the creature slowly lumbered away from the tavern, the great footfalls shaking them and making debris fall with every step. However, the Elder Treant did not walk far... only a hundred or so feet from the tavern, and then with a great creak that was easily audible from where they stood, it lowered itself to sit on the ground. The idea of a tree or tree-like being sitting was an odd one, but here was a treant doing exactly that. It thumped itself down on the ground, sending up a cloud of dust, and proceeded to do nothing but stair off into the distance. First a seated Treant... now a depressed one?

However, it didn't sit for long. Or rather, didn't sit idly. In the wake of the ceasing of the thundering steps there was a blessed quietness, a silence unbroken by anything save for the neccessary noises of breathing. It was so quiet that the slight noise from the treant broke it easily, and the refugees quickly became aware of the fact that the Treant was humming. The sound was low and while it too vibrated, it was far less of a physical vibration and more of a nearly magical hum. This magic-filled shiver ran through their bodies in waves as the Treant sat in the middle of their broken town, humming quietly. It was a very strange sensation... one wave of magical chills then a pause, then another wave and another pause and all the while the sound continued. It was soothing despite the oddness, offering comfort of some fashion. As each wave ran through their bodies the comforting feeling increased until it reached near rapturous euphoria. Then, the magic began to work a far more obvious effect, at least to the eyes.

The skies began to lighten. Not with the encroaching light of the suns, but with a light entirely out of the ordinary. The light, a faint pink, increased in strength with each magical wave and so did their joy and relief. Soon, it was all but blinding, and the humming had increased to a noise that was practically deafening. Then, as quickly as it had started and rapidly increased, the light burst brilliantly and faded. Little twinkles of the magical light fell down like rain around the town and where they touched the ground twinkled and sprouted with fresh green life.

Gasping in awe, Lehan took a few stumbling steps outside into the strange bath of light. His eyes aglow with magically enhanced wonder, he held out one blood-stained hand to catch a flash of light. As it hit his skin, the blood suddenly dried up and shrank away, leaving nothing but the flesh. More fragments of ara fell onto his shoulders and head, wiping away dirt as much as the magic had already wiped away some of the stains on his soul, and the elf smiled brilliantly. Letting out a wild laugh he started running about in the strange shower of magic, jumping and hollering with sheer Euphoric joy. Seeing him unharmed and happy, many of the other villagers rushed out as well to dash about in the brilliant display. Where the light hit them their scrapes were healed, leaving them pink and scarred over. The strange shower was healing their wounds, physical and mental... but there would always be scars.

Mila felt herself smiling as she walked out into the 'rain.' Looking about, she saw the bent figure of the treant. With all the light it was incredibly easy to see around them. She could see the treant as if it were full daylight, and each blade of regrown grass and the leaf of each healing tree was easily picked out by her eyes. It was too bright to look up from where all the light was falling... all that one could see was sheer white. Lifting up the tattered remains of her dress - the magic didn't heal fabric apparently - she quickly approached the treant, followed by several others. Her steps were far less cautious than her attitude had been before; it was obvious that despite it's strange entrance, the treant was here to help them. Smiling so broadly she felt as though her face would split, she approached the treant.

As she neared the Treant, the immense being rocked and struggled to stand. Turning, it looked down at the small human creature, observing the radiant smile on it's face. It's eyes lingered on the enraptured look for only a second and then it let out a final rumbling command. "Yoou... haave foorgootten the waaays of... your foorefaatherrs." There was a murmer in the quickly growing crowd. "Foor too loong... yoouu have takenn... withouut giivingg inn... reeturnn." The treant continued, ignoring the reactions beneath him. "Carmeelya... has saaved you moore thann onnce... annnd it... isss tiime to reepaaay yoour... deebt." One great limb waved at the city around them, it's greenery quickly regrowing in the healing light. It seemed the town would soon regain it's old beauty. "Yoou... muustt prooteect... tthaat whiich is youurs, and.. thaat whiich iss... Carmmellya's. Yoouu muusst... taake nooo moore thann youu neeed and... heeal yoour hoome, oorr... Carmeelya willl noot heelp yoou... in tuurn." The treant gave a rumbling sigh and reached into it's great leaves with a slender branch. It pulled out a small book, the parchment bound between two great slabs of bark, the binding made of bands of grass. The treant handed this book to Lehan, who took it bemusedly. "Thhaaat... wiill heelp yoou to seerve... yoour taassk. Reeaad."

Lehan hesitantly took the book and opened it carefully as if worried he'd break it if he opened it too quickly. Clearing his throat, he began to read the book to the crowd. "And Carmelya saw this and became sad, and Her tears dripped across the earth once more, and touched some of these People, and caused them to remember. Those who remembered came to the Goddess and She was not alone anymore. Seeing that she needed to protect nature from the Destroyers, She reminded these People of their pasts and they became Guardians once again. And these People were gifted with the knowledge of Carmelya herself and were given the tools to the Magic of the Forests and Plains and Deserts and Seas, and so the People became Her friends and Her tools, and she named them Her Druids.

But Her Druids had been Destroyers for so long that they did not know what else to do, and so when Carmelya told them they were to live in the great Forests, they began to cut down Trees to make houses. And Carmelya stopped them and told them that they should not live in dead Trees but bend the Trees to their will, and that they should live in holes in the ground, and in caves in the rocks, and live as the Animals did. And the People agreed, and for a time things were good.

And then the People said that they did not know what to eat, for surely if they killed the Animals they would be Destroyers, not Guardians? And Carmelya replied that should they kill for food then they were not Destroyers, but rather followed the path of Nature, for was that not what the Children of Carmelya, the Animals, did? And the People agreed and for a time things were good.

And then the People said that they did not have wool or cotton to make clothing from, and that they needed more clothing than furs from food-kills alone could provide, and that they needed money to trade so that they might be clothed and stay warm in the winter. But they did not know how to get this money without becoming Destoyers and not Guardians, and so they asked their Goddess what they should do. And Carmelya replied that they should take from the Lands only what it could give freely, and that this was what they would trade for those things that they needed. And the People agreed, and for a time things were good.

And then the People said that they knew what to eat, and they knew where to live, and they knew how to trade, but they did not know what to do to protect the Lands. They asked Carmelya, for how were they to Guard when there were so few of them and so many of the Destroyers. And Carmelya replied that they should multiply by speaking with the Destroyers and making them remember what they have Forgot. And the People agreed, and their questions were sated.

But Carmelya had seen them forget and knew that while People were smart they were not as smart as Her and might forget again. As she did not wish that, the Goddess decided to make a reminder for them all, and so she took a great Tree of the Forest, the biggest Tree of them all, and in it's bark she formed the words of the Wisdom of Carmelya. And these words were indeed wise, and the tree became wise in itself, and the words were this:

'And you shall live in Nature and be of Nature, and all shall be right and well with you. And you shall not cut down the Trees, nor flatten the earth, but bend the Trees and burrow like the Animals do, and live with Nature in it's true form.

And you shall not hunt but what you need, and shall not gather but what you need, and all shall be right and well with you. And you shall not kill but what you will eat, and you shall not destroy but act as the animals do.

And you shall not take but what the Lands cannot give, and all shall be right and well with you. And you shall take only what is freely given, and leave some for the future and growth will continue and replenish what you have taken.

And you shall go out and you shall teach the words and spread the message and all shall be right and well with you. And the message will be the Ways of Carmelya and the ways of Nature, and the Destroyers will remember and will follow in your path.'"

As the elf finished, so did the strange rain of light. It slowed till it eventually stopped, and the strange light was replaced by a new light... sunsrise. Overhead there was no longer blinding white but the soft blue of the morning sky. Yet it was strange and seemed different. If one looked carefully, they could see the occasional shimmer in the air, like something was between them and the world outside. The trees were fully grown to their previous height, and the grass was as green as they'd ever seen it. Lehan looked up from the book and quietly shut it. "That's all. The rest is blank." He said, his voice and face reflecting his confusion.

"Thhaat iss all... youu need too knoow foor noow." The treant said almost blithely. "Wheen yoou need... morre knowleedge, theee book will giive yoou moore." Creaking, the elder treant looked down at the crowd. "Yoou... haave heaard Carmeelyaa's worrdss. Noow it... iis ttiimee to aaact uppon theem. Yoou will... live byy heer ruules, aand shee will... prooteect yoou and guiide youu. Yoou will ceelebrate the... hoolidays aand prootect the... foorests. Yoou will huunt only... whaat you musst too... eeat, noot for ppleaasure. Yoou... wiil haave raangers annd druiids to prooteect... the Goodess's saacred forresst, and sshee will heelp yoou prooteect youurself iin tuurn. III haave... heelped you... and noow muust goo..." With that final statement, the great treant lumbered it's way out of the town. It was strange, but the grass it trampled in it's path seemed completely undamaged despite it's obvious great weight.

As it reached the end of town, it passed through the shimmering barrier. Those who tried to exit through it found that while they could move, it was as if they'd suddenly been frozen... the barrier which surrounded their town slowed them down to such a degree that to pass all the way through it would take several hours. Long enough for anyone to notice that someone was coming through the barrier and sound the alarm before they came through... long enough to let the town protect itself. Carmelya's servant had cast a spell to protect them all, and now it was time to fill their part of the deal. Over the next few months they would work hard to rebuild both their city and themselves. Many of the old stores were not rebuilt for they took the new doctrine of their goddess seriously. Anyone who doubted her presence in the town had only to look up and remember that someone was indeed watching over them.

The tavern was repaired, and it was the only building left made of unnatural matterials in the whole town. Even it was covered mostly in vines and greenery to reflect their new crede. Their military reformed and called themselves the Acumin Rangers, and took it upon themselves to protect both the town and the forest as well. Lehan became a priest of Carmelya and began to teach his arts to those who wished to learn them. He and his druids helped to rebuild or rather regrow the town. Mila took over the tavern and ran it easily. Despite the bad memories there it was still a very popular place... Mila had perfected the art of a roast beef sandwhich when that was all she'd had, and since then had had the oppertunity to make many new and better recipes. She never did get Throk to build an outhouse outback.

OOC: And welcome to the new Acumin. Over the next few days we'll be adding locations and changing the link map writeup.