Dark Willow

Barely a week after their previous visit (F31 – Snow White and the Seven Dwarves), the party teleported back to the ruined villa on the banks of Long Lake.  The party this time did not include Aderbarg or the boat crew and Jason had found something better to do.  However, the elven druid Girindor joined them instead.

When they arrived they are surprised to find a large dark tree growing upon the mound where they had fought the clinging vine.  As so often when it comes to vegetation the Elf decides to shoot first and ask questions later.  He summons a storm and tries to blast the tree with lighting.  However, the thunderbolts seem reluctant to target the tree and prove more of a danger to the party.  Rather belatedly the Elf casts a spell to detect evil and discovers that while there is evil in the mound, it has nothing to do with the tree.  After communing with the tree for a few hours the elf returns to consciousness to announce, somewhat sheepishly that the tree is ancient and powerful and called Blackroot.  It has been locked in a deadly struggle with the cling vine.  Apparently the efforts of the party on the last expedition to hack up the malevolent creeper has given the tree the upper hand in a struggle that has been going on for centuries.

That night the party is attacked by a hapless band of hobgoblins.  Most are slain, but Ubaron uses his powers to subjugate a couple of the survivors to his will.  In the morning the elf enters the tree to aid Blackroot in his struggle.  The party meanwhile spend the morning exploring the ruins and discover what they reckon is a bath house.  Girindor returns some hours later to announce the death of the creeping menace.  Blackroot is happy once more (and presumably forgives the elf for trying to blast him with lightning).  Apparently the creeper had been drawing strength from an underground pool full of earth power.  The rest of the day is spent reconnoitring the nearby marsh.  This is bad news for the local inhabitants – a couple of hill giants are slain along with a couple of trolls who try to ambush the party.

That night Girindor sinks into the earth and manages to speak to the spectre that haunts the village – called Snow White by the previous expedition (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves – F31).  It seems that she is the relict of an acolyte of a local god associated with the sacred pool that the evil vine was feeding upon.  Her shrine was desecrated by orcs. If it were restored then she would be able to move on.

It was the following day that Girindor received an unexpected telepathic message.  It transpired that there had been a council of elves earlier that month to discuss the disappearance of Nickar and the Rangers.  Grettir, who felt himself a stake-holder in this matter was annoyed not to have been consulted and thought it might have been wise at least to have involved Paradoxides. However, he was used to the arrogance and wise-foolishness of elder race.  Ever keen to speak of alliance and friendship when they needed humans to do their dirty work for them – go to the Lands of Dust, find the Sarn-Tur and wield them against the Ogri – they soon reverted to high-handed disregard when the hour of their need had passed.  It seemed that Sho Rembo, whose husband Gadan was trapped in the temporal anomaly, had spoken passionately to the Council in favour of direct action to free Nickar and the Rangers.  As usual the elves had opted to do nothing.  Now it appeared that Sho Rembo in her frustration had siezed a Sarn Tur – Urthil the One Alone that had been wielded by Nickar.  She was using its power to try to join the Rangers by simply walking through the temporal anomaly that entrapped them.  The power of the Sarn Tur was limitless and Sho Rembo was immortal, so eventually she would no doubt achieve her goal, though many centuries might pass in the meantime.

Grettir called time on the expedition and had Kolgrim transport him to Basi to take council with Paradoxides.  Paradoxides was furious that Sho had been able to simply help herself to a Sarn Tur.  It had been his understanding that they were held by the elves in trust and nothing would be done with them without consulting their chosen wielders – Eggo, Nickar and Paradoxides himself.  For his part, Grettir deprecated Sho’s lack of communication and doubted the wisdom of her actions.  However, he could understand the – very human – sentiments behind them.  He found that he much preferred her vigour and determination to the pusillanimous inaction of the rest of the elves.

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OE Date: Late August 694

Characters:  Grettir, Wilf, Ubaron, Ranulf, Girindor  NPCs: Kolgrim

Real World: March 2004;  Where: Surbiton

See also Ubaron’s Diaries