[Horde] Chapter Five: Session Fifty-Six
Appearing Characters: Altruis Shadowsong, Ariesera, Arthak Saurfang, Glaidalis Shadegrove, Hannah Bladeleaf, Infazzar, Lyessa Bloomwatcher, Nyxxa Murkthorn, Oculeth Augurelt, Omnuron Highwind, Raenon Shadegrove, Rak'Symma, Rexxar, Sol'chi, Thalyssra Dusklily, Thisalee Crow, Valtrois Leyweaver, Zar'Kaa
December 5th
Lyessa Bloomwatcher regarded the possessed druid and declared they needed to cleanse the grove of his presence. She cast [Wrath of Nature] over the area.
However, the various corrupted plants and treants started to surge forward with a flurry of attacks. One of the treants managed to scoop up Nyxxa in its branchy claws. Symma summoned a [Call Lightning], which launched off the raised branches to strike into Raenon Shadegrove, charring them in the process.
Arthak grew to his giant size and started to swing in on Raenon. With a couple powerful strikes, Raenon looked heavily injured, and Arthak then punched him in the face, sending him staggering back, but the possessed druid simply grinned malevolently in response. He held out a hand and his fingers extended into claws that dripped with acid, which he then swung directly at Sol. The claw raked across Sol’s side, which broke through Sol’s frost armor as it erupted with ice. He continued to rake at Sol again and again with large arcing slashes, acid continuing to singe at his clothing. He then moved out of the lashing vines and plants of the wrath of nature.
Arthak attempted to read into what the dreadlord was planning, but he was unable to glean any information. Lyessa called out to the spirits of the grove and summoned a guardian treant to aid them in the battle. It whirled into the animated corrupted plants, tearing several of them to pieces.
Symma conjured another blast of lightning over Raenon and several of the enemy creatures. Two of the vitiated vines were charred into motionless pulp. Symma then manifested an isolated storm around herself as one of the blighted bushes attacked the guardian treant that was just summoned.
Zar’Kaa used [Shackling Smite] and whipped his blade around at Raenon Shadegrove. With a snap of his fingers, the druid broke the chains that wrapped around him, but the impact was harsh and it seemed the druid’s arm had been broken. However, he still didn’t look worried. Arthak called to Zar’kaa not to kill him, as something didn’t seem right.
Zar’Kaa pulled his weapon back and knocked Raenon with the blunt end of the spear. However, the corpse of Raenon Shadegrove still fell to the ground, and his shadow unfurled behind him, revealing the large dreadlord with blackened lightning scarification across his face.
He unfurled his wings and took off into the air. Arthak swing Varg’osh at him, but as the sword connected, his form burst into a swarm of insectoid-like bats. Some of them remained in his wake as he tried to used [Carrion Swarm], but Sol countered the spell, causing the bats to burst into nothing.
The dreadlord rematerialized next to Rak’Symma and grabbed her in his claws. She blasted him with lightning to fend him off, but he surged forward and managed to grab her again.
Nyxxa slashed at the treant that had grabbed her and managed to get it to drop her by severing its hand, enabling her to dart over to Infazzar to aid Symma. She then slashed at Infazzar, forcing him to recoil and drop Rak’Symma.
The dreadlord scowled.
Nyxxa didn’t offer any response other than another flurry of her blades as she forced him on his back hoof. Rak’Symma caused her lightning storm to crash into Infazzar, and with an explosion of tempestuous energy, she sent a ripple of destruction out from her. The corrupted plant life exploded around her, and Infazzar grinned.
He unfolded his claw, revealing a translucent gemstone the idol of Aviana was holding in his hand.
His contingency activated, and he started to vanish in a flicker of magic. Rak’Symma shrieked at him and tried to pursue, but her claw closed around nothing.
The druid raised her hand, and her arm started to splinter and crackle. It reshaped into a long bough of a tree that was curled, cracked, and splintered. Her arm was now fully missing, and she grabbed the staff that had materialized.
The corrupted grass around her started to shift, and become cleansed of the taint. A pulse of green energy washed over the ground and the creatures around her, causing their corruption to be overtaken with new growth. The pulse washed over Nyxxa, and she was abruptly stunned and banished from the Emerald Dream. She reappeared in the midst of the grove on the material plane.
Arthak finished off the writhing vine that remained.
Lyessa looked over toward Rak’Symma.
Rak’Symma was silent, and a bolt of lightning struck a rock nearby.
Lyessa shifted them all to the material plane as Sol retrieved Raenon’s body. Omnuron rushed over to check on Lyessa, and she assured him she was alright thanks to the group that had come to her rescue. She explained the fiend had ambushed her when she was attempting to repel the corruption of the area.
Glaidalis faltered as he saw his brother in Sol’s arms.
He took the body and fell to his knees.
Omnuron looked at Rak’Symma.
Sol asked if the idol of Aviana was important, and Omnuron explained the idol was a vessel for the spiritstone it held. He was worried what the dreadlord was capable of doing with the spiritstone’s power, as none of them had been able to harness its full potential.
Glaidalis got to his feet with the body.
The druid departed from the group with his brother still carried in his arms.
He looked at Lyessa.
Lyessa agreed she would subject herself to any examinations needed, but she wished to thank them all again, as she wasn’t sure what would have happened to her, or the staff she now held in her hand, as she was worried the dreadlord was seeking the staff as well. She then looked at Nyxxa and apologized, as she hadn’t realized she was a demon. Nyxxa assured her it was the best time for her to be sent out.
She also reported that she had felt a pull in the pool of corruption, which implied that it was probably where Xavius was stemming from. Omnuron scowled, but said they needed to send word to every archdruid and grove on the isles.
Ariesera said she would reach out to her kin and ensure they knew as well.
Omnuron asked if he could count on the assistance of the demon hunters, and Nyxxa assured him that he could.
Rak’Symma had found a place to sit down not far away. Omnuron approached her.
Omnuron asked if Rak’Symma had any objections to the assistance, and the harpy took a deep breath, but confirmed she did not. Lyessa leaned in Rak’Symma’s direction, but she didn’t say anything. It seemed she was moving her senses toward her. However, she spoke to Hannah Bladeleaf as the younger druid approached to check on her.
Ariesera suggested that the group be given a safe haven to rest in Shala’nir once the area was secured. The group agreed it was a wise idea to rest for a bit, and Nyxxa offered to let Rak’Symma borrow the dreamcatcher Ebonhorn had given her to ensure her rest was peaceful. Omnuron said he needed to tend to matters, but if anyone needed him, they shouldn’t hesitate to contact him. His eyes hovered on Rak’Symma in particular, and he then shifted into his storm crow form and took off.
Nyxxa requested the group hold back for a moment.
Zar’Kaa was quiet for a moment as he ran his hand along Rokul Kaz’s blade.
Nyxxa shook her head.
Zar’Kaa looked at Symma.
Rak’Symma looked agitated, but exhaled and shook her head.
The words slipped into several different languages.
Thisalee told Rak’Symma she had slipped into other languages, and she hurried off to get her water and other things to make sure she was taken care of.
Nyxxa said she was going to check on Glaidalis as she had gotten the sense he was once a friend of her’s. Hannah confirmed that he was with one of Nyxxa’s former squadmates, and she had met him a few times.
Sol asked if he could accompany her, but Nyxxa said she was hesitant to introduce him immediately, as she didn’t know how much she had even known Glaidalis, and he was going through a lot present. Arthak said it was probably wise to remind Glaidalis of what type of person the dreadlord had to pretend to be, as it was only possible because it was a dreadlord.
He then said he had reports to make, but Rexxar put a hand heavily on his shoulder and told him to wait until the next day. Arthak grunted and said he would get the first report done, but then he’d sleep.
Rexxar also checked in on Rak’Symma, using Nisha’s concern as an excuse to make sure that she was okay.
Nyxxa went to go and speak with Glaidalis, and Vaerux cleared his throat in her mind to compliment her on her fighting against the satyrs. However, he said he wanted to say something, but he believed it was going to be both hard and sound stupid. He wanted to thank her for stopping him, as he didn’t know what he would have done if Xavius came back and pressed him into serving him.
Nyxxa said she was still processing everything Vaerux had put her through, but the thing she was angriest about were his lies, but she was glad he was on her side now, and that he didn’t need to listen to Xavius anymore.
Nyxxa found Glaidalis as he was helping with some of the destruction in the grove. She introduced herself, as she believed he may have known her as Nhemai. Glaidalus was flabbergasted and took a step back, but Nyxxa asked him to walk with her. He seemed to be incredibly shaken, as the moment he stopped working was the moment everything crashed on him again.
Nyxxa explained there were some things she wanted to say, as she was worried about him.
The wind left Glaidalis’s lungs.
Glaidalis asked if she thought his actual brother would have wanted that, and Nyxxa said she did.
Glaidalis dropped to his knees and started to weep. Nyxxa said she believed it wise for him to see Yaeliura, as he needed to take care of himself too, and the dreadlord had dealt him a grievous wound. Glaidalis asked how he would know if it would ever heal, and Nyxxa said that it likely wouldn’t, but he could keep Raenon’s memory alive.
Glaidalis acknowledged she was right, and Nyxxa told him he wasn’t alone in his suffering, as if he and Omnuron leaned on each other, that could make it easier too. Glaidalus thanked her, as she had always known what to say to Yaeliura, and now he could see why.
She then went to see Altruis, who immediately hugged her and told her that she did a good job that day. Nyxxa thanked him, but expressed there was something she wanted to ask, and she had been hoping for a better time, but she doubted there was one.
Altruis inhaled in surprise, and then started to laugh quietly. He blushed. Nyxxa said he didn’t have to answer immediately, but he said that he hadn’t expected it, but he was still elated to hear it. He immediately kissed her and said yes.
Nyxxa admitted she had told Lantresor she hadn’t been sure that she would ever be ready to be mated, but she believed everything had changed her mind, and she had already said as much to Delas. But they agreed they could work on plans later, and they opted to go to rest.
Rak’Symma had gone to seek Lyessa, and she found her suspended in the air with vines as droves of life energy wafted from her. She smiled faintly as she sensed Symma’s presence, and she gently landed on the ground as the vines retracted.
She greeted Rak’Symma warmly and asked if she had wanted to speak of something. Rak’Symma acknowledged she wasn’t sure, and the archdruid nodded and said she understood she could never understand, but she had also wanted to speak with her about something.
She told Symma to follow her, and they stepped into a glade, which produced a stump for her to sit on, and a perch for Rak’Symma to sit on. Symma chuffed quietly and sat down.
Lyessa said she wished to apologize to her for adding to Symma’s multitude of stressors, and the harpy replied she was the first to apologize to her. Lyessa said she had spent a long time away from people, and it made her bad at knowing when to close her mouth.
Lyessa admitted the one sin all kaldorei were guilty of was that they sometimes failed to slow down and take a look around them. But she wished to know what she could do for Rak’Symma. Rak’Symma asked her how far Lyessa’s grove was from G’Hanir. The archdruid admitted it was quite far, but the roots and influence of G’Hanir ran far through the Emerald Dream, as it was a mother tree in more ways than one. She released the staff in her hand, and it was suspended by a vine. She explained it was one of the last living branches of G’Hanir, at least, until recently. It had been the only cutling that survived the trauma of losing her mistress, but it was believed it was Aviana herself that had brought it to the druids. She had been given the honor of watching the cutling, but in return it had given her many gifts.
She explained that she had been severely wounded during the War of the Satyr and had lost her sight and most of her limbs. But after years of meditation, she had heard the mother tree’s voice, and she had taught her instead of the druids or the ancient guardians.
She asked why Symma wished to know, and the harpy admitted she just had been wondering why they hadn’t met sooner. Lyessa replied she didn’t believe they were destined to until she had been ready. Symma said she had no idea what she was doing, and Lyessa chuckled and said that she was doing as well as the rest of them, as the kaldorei had floundered for thousands of years. But all living creatures were imperfect beings, that could in turn find perfection within themselves as well.
The archdruid had asked for a long time why Aviana had chosen her out of all the people in the world to bear the bough of the mother tree, but she believed her answer was sitting beside her now. The vines holding the staff set it in front of Rak’Symma instead.
Rak’Symma looked at Lyessa.
Lyessa smirked.
Rak’Symma recalled how many times it took Aviana to fly up and over G’Hanir and discover the truth to meet the White Lady. She had felt the same discouragement and fear and irritation, but she had always been caught by the boughs of G’Hanir.
Rak’Symma asked her if taking the staff would impede Lyessa, who assured her it wouldn’t, as she could always grow another arm. Rak’Symma held out a talon and touched the branch. She felt a life and a connection within it. She allowed her own magic to connect to it.
Symma offered an unspoken promise to not fail her, and the branch, in its resonance, seemed to say that it believed her, as she had already made a promise before. Rak’Symma cried for a time, the staff in her talons, but when she left she gave the archdruid two of her feathers.
Sol had approached the druids to offer to help bring some of those that died back using some of the most powerful of his magic. Stars scintillated around him as he cast the magic, and they formed over the fallen elves and attempted to bring them back to life. All of the bodies he had cast the spell on opened their eyes at the same time.
Ariesera smirked, having watched the event, and expressed it was a good thing he did, and far more than she would have expected from a demon. She thanked him, as she believed it was a valuable lesson for all of them.
Omnuron told Sol he needed to be careful with such magic, as it was not power he should wield lightly.
He pat Sol on the shoulder and left.
December 6th
The next day, everyone saw the group off as they made their way back to Shal’aran. Rak’Symma approached Glaid and put a hand on his cheek, and on his chest, and then sighed. She expressed that she understood what it was like to want answers that they couldn’t have, but she hoped he would find them. Glaid simply asked that they punish the monster that had taken his brother, and Symma assured him they would.
They arrived in Shal’aran and made their way into the ruins. Suddenly Sol was flung into the air and a voice barked to the First Arcanist there were guests. Thalyssra suddenly ran in, but then recognized the group, and assured the other nightfallen they were friends.
The arcanist sighed that she could have warned him, and he released Sol. Thalyssra introduced him as Oculeth, and it appeared they had gotten the telemancy beacons in order. Another female nightfallen laughed and asked they forgive Oculeth for his first impressions. She introduced herself as Valtrois, the former Second Arcanist.
Oculeth said the network was presently very patchwork and he warned them not to abuse it and try to stick to large groups to take up less energy.
