Characters:
- Teslan (Paladin)
Ever since construction on the Keep started Teslan had been having dreams, some might even call them visions. Hearing his name whispered on the wind and when he turned, inevitable to the south, no one would be there. He found himself walking through town on an errand, and then realizing he was a few hundred steps further out of town than he had sought to go, always to the south. Towards the Keep. His dreams became more vivid, more intense, he began to see a grove in the forest, and centrally, a grand tree; wide of branches and thick of trunk. Ancient and weathered, this tree called to him and so he loaded his pack and set out following the road south.
Passing the two day journey to the Keep uneventfully, he stayed the night at the Anderson Farm, resting in the barn and reached the keep where the sprites were busy at work turning trees into planks and boulders into chiseled stone. The calling was stronger here, almost a compulsion. Murmuring a prayer to Kalaban, the Father of Storms, Teslan let the call guide him into the forest wandering for a few hours before finding himself beneath the boughs of the Tree from his vision. It was an aged thing, thick, moss encrusted bark, branches reaching up above the canopy. It looked, not exactly as he had seen it in his visions, but more real, now in person. A voice rang out, seemingly from everywhere and nowhere, calling him by name and telling him it had watched his progress through the land. The voice, The Tree Teslan now surmised, questioned him on his purpose and why and who he fought for. Teslan answered that he fought for those who could not fight for themselves. The Tree asked what his intentions were for the Keep the sprites were building, Teslan answered that it would be a haven, a shelter for those who would live in these dangerous lands. Teslan asked if these lands were protected by the Tree and wondered what it was. The Tree answered that it was a Spirit of the Land, both molded by and empowered by the land and its denizens.
It offered Teslan a bargain, a pact, if Teslan proved himself by slaying a Wyvern that had broached the bounds of this Spirit’s lands, the Spirit would grant him boons to protect and ward the area around the Keep. To aid Teslan in this quest, the Spirit called forth a legendary Owlbear to accompany him, Bloodbeak White-eye, a mother Owlbear who’s cubs could live without fear once this Wyvern was dealt with. Teslan and Bloodbeak set out, heading back North, skirting around Anderson Farm as he was now traveling with a great beast and had no wish to scare the farmers and their stock. The hills and rough scrublands forced them to detour slightly, but they eventually found themselves at the base of a small cliffside where above they could see a huge nest. Climbing up to the nest, they found it empty with no sign of the Wyvern, Teslan began to tear down and destroy the nest, some of the pieces used though were thick tree trunks, and even with Bloodbeak’s assistance they had only managed to tear off the upper, smaller, pieces before Teslan spotted the Wyvern bearing down on them with more material for it’s nest.
Warning Bloodbeak of the Wyvern’s approach, Teslan drew his sword and waited in the shadow of the nest, running out to challenge the beast as it drew near, they exchanged blows, with the Wyvern getting the better and gripping the Warforged in its fangs as Bloodbeak leapt forward trying to knock the beast down, it shouldered the Owlbear aside and began to take flight, dropping Teslan from it’s maw as it got a little higher before circling back around. Teslan said to Bloodbeak that they needed to keep it on the ground, to try and grapple it when it came back around. The Wyvern circled and then glided down to strike, another exchange of blows, it’s poison stinger slamming into Bloodbeak, but she was able to shake-off the damage. A tail sweep drove Bloodbeak back to the edge of the cliff, pebbles and rocks scrabbling under her talons; she managed to keep herself up as the debris clattered down the cliff behind her. Charging back in Teslan landed a few hits and was bitten and clawed again in return, the beast knocked him back with its tail and began to take flight again. Bloodbeak charged in, grabbing the Wyvern by the tail and slamming it down into the ground again before it could fly away, Teslan leapt forward as the beast let out a sharp cry and stabbed his sword down through it’s skull, finishing the beast for good.
Removing its head and stinger, the unlikely pair rested to recover from their wounds and then traveled back south to the Keep and the Spirit. The Wyvern’s head Teslan left with the sprites to be placed above the central fireplace, and the pair returned to the Spirit’s grove. Teslan said his farewells to Bloodbeak as she hooted and shook her head happily before striding off back into the forest to go back to her cubs. The stinger, he returned to the Spirit, placing it on an offering stone before the Great Tree. As the pact was fulfilled, a connection was made, Teslan felt as though thousands of bees were buzzing in his mind, the runes engraved on his body glowed brightly, a dark green color as he began to be able to feel all those beings who were present in the lands around the keep. The glow faded, as did the feeling, but it was always there in the back of his mind, able to reach out and grasp it if he needed too.
His quest done, he returned to town.
