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[Ithillian Turambar]

Oh. The Earth Temple is our next Temple and looks like it's not going to be a semi friendly Guardian there this time 

 

I'd like to train with Halwen and explore the village. We do need to Level up big time I think

[Turin Turambar]

More montages!!

[Gudrean]

3 or 5 I say

[Donchadh]

And we need to get leveled up on some Air! But training here is always good. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Let's go learn with Halwen

 

Story Update – Day 7, Morning
Location: Windrest Hollow – Halwen’s Training Hollow
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None

---

You express your interest in deepening your connection with Spirit. Halwen nods in approval and leads you through the grove behind the central hearth—a secluded glade enclosed in woven bramble and stone. Wards shimmer faintly in the morning light.

“This place is old,” he says, placing his staff at the center of a moss-covered ring. “Before Windrest was ever carved from the forest, the first Weave-binders used this circle to listen. Spirit is not just memory—it is motion, emotion, truth unspoken.”

He gestures for you to kneel and places a crystal bowl of still water before you.

“Your Codex already carries balance—but now, you will learn to echo beyond yourself.”

Training Challenge – Spirit Discipline (Spirit Level 10 – Passed)
Your mind stills. The world falls away, and the bowl’s surface shifts… not with touch, but intention.

You hear whispers. Not words, but fragments of feeling. You reach out—not to grasp, but to invite.

The water stirs.

New Spell Learned – Echo Pulse (Spirit Level 1)
Type: Utility/Combat Hybrid
Cost: 2 EP
Effect: Send out a pulse of Spirit energy that reveals concealed thoughts, emotional echoes, and active illusions in a wide radius.
Secondary Effect: Weakens ongoing Spirit-based effects (anchors, charms, fear) for 1 turn.

Synergy Bonus – Veil of Equilibrium augments this spell to grant brief clarity to allies within range (+1 to Insight or Will saves next turn).

Halwen opens his eyes and smiles faintly. “Good. You listened. That’s the first lesson of Spirit—we do not command it. We join it.”

---

Spellbook Updated

• Echo Pulse (Spirit Level 1) – Now available
• Codex attunement strengthened – +1 Spirit Spell Efficiency

---

What would you like to do next?

1. Depart for the rootcircle – Seek the Verdant Hollow
2. Visit the Warded Cell again – The cultist may be awake now
3. Rest and reflect – Regain EP if used, prepare mentally
4. Visit the village market – Look for items or information
5. Speak with Halwen again – Ask about his past or deeper Spirit lore

What would you like to do?

[Ithillian Turambar]

I really want to know about Halwen's past. I thought he was the inkeeper but then he got a staff and knows all this stuff.

 

But I was afraid to ask the game in case I broke it lol

[Donchadh]

We are "looting" Halwen; I love it!! 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Lol.

 

We rifle through Halwen's pockets... I mean past.

 

Story Update – Day 7, Morning
Location: Windrest Hollow – Spirit Grove
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None

---

Halwen remains seated by the circle even after the training ends, eyes closed and face lit by golden morning rays breaking through the canopy. When you ask about his past, his expression shifts—nostalgic, yet heavy with burden.

“I wasn’t always a guide,” he says, voice quiet but clear. “Before Windrest, I was a Veilwalker.”

He opens his Codex. It flickers with older sigils—markings that hint at deep Spirit journeys, realms between the living and the lost.

“I used to walk the Echoing Veil. Not to summon the dead… but to learn from them. My purpose was clarity, not power. But something changed when the stars fell. Spirit began reacting violently to intrusion—too many voices, too many chains.”

He reaches into his satchel and retrieves a cracked pendant, shaped like a crescent moon wrapped in thorns.

“This belonged to one of my students. She tried to touch what wasn’t meant to be touched—followed a voice too deep in the Veil. She never came back. Since then, I’ve stayed here. Helped others ground themselves before they lost themselves.”

He looks at you. “That’s why your path is dangerous. You already hear the Veil’s call. Just promise me—if you go deeper, go with purpose. Not curiosity.”

Codex Insight: Echo Warning
Gained minor resistance to mental instability when interacting with strong Spirit phenomena
+1 to Will saves when confronting Spirit Echoes

You feel a closer bond to Halwen. He is now a trusted Spirit mentor.
He may be able to assist in advanced Spirit spellcraft or help track elusive anomalies if called upon later.

---

What would you like to do next?

1. Depart for the rootcircle – Begin your journey to the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple)
2. Return to the Warded Cell – See if the cultist has regained consciousness
3. Visit the market – Look for supplies, tomes, or curios
4. Explore the forest outskirts – There may be elemental activity nearby
5. Ask Halwen about the Echoing Veil itself – Learn more about its nature and dangers

What would you like to do?

[Donchadh]

A little more knowledge before we begin our journey....??

[Ithillian Turambar]

We are moving quick now.

 

Let's probe Halwen some more

 

---

Story Update – Day 7, Morning
Location: Windrest Hollow – Spirit Grove
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None
Codex Insight: Echo Warning – Minor resistance to Spirit-induced mental effects | +1 Will vs. Echoes

 

---

As sunlight filters through the canopy, you lean forward. “Tell me more about the Echoing Veil. What is it, truly?”

Halwen opens his eyes. His gaze sharpens.

“The Echoing Veil is the liminal boundary between what lives and what lingers. It’s not death. It’s what remains after—memory, intent, unfinished will. It is... hungry, sometimes. Other times, it listens.”

He traces a sigil into the air—one your Codex instantly recognizes as Veilmark, a Spirit glyph of containment.

“Some think it’s a passage to the afterlife. Others, that it’s a mirror of our world, shaped by what people leave behind. I believe it's both—and neither.”

You feel a low tremor through the Codex, as if something distant stirred at the name alone.

Halwen lowers his hand. “The deeper you go, the more the Veil begins to notice. It pulls on memory, on guilt, on hope. That’s why so many who explore it… vanish.”

He sighs. “But if you learn to anchor yourself—to move through it with clarity—it can offer truths not found anywhere else. The Veil doesn’t lie. It only reflects.”

Codex Insight: Veil Theory (I)
Gained increased understanding of Spirit-anchored realms.
+1 to interpreting Veil-related phenomena and artifacts.

New Spell Unlock Available – “Echo Thread” (Spirit Tier 1):
Trace a lingering emotional or spiritual presence in an area. Grants brief sensory impressions or memories left behind. Costs 2 EP.

---

Halwen stands. “If the cult’s rituals truly reach into the Veil, you’ll need more than strength. You’ll need focus. Let me know when you're ready to go further.”

You feel the Echo stir in the distance—patient, watching.

---

What would you like to do next?

1. Depart for the rootcircle – Begin your journey to the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple)
2. Return to the Warded Cell – Check if the cultist has awakened
3. Visit the market – Look for supplies, tomes, or curios
4. Explore the forest outskirts – There may be elemental activity nearby
5. Craft and attune to the new “Echo Thread” spell

What would you like to do?

[Ithillian Turambar]

And we need more practise and maybe some shopping... or do something to earn money

 

We didn't get nearly enough loot on our last temple trip.

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

I think we need to check on Kevin. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

As long as we don't bravely set out just yet I'm fine with any other option.

 

 

[Donchadh]

Visit Cultist and then shopping...

[Ithillian Turambar]

Ok let's visit Kevin and see how he's getting on.

 

---

Story Update – Day 7, Late Morning
Location: Windrest Hollow – Warded Cell
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 16 | Fatigue: None
New Spell Available: Echo Thread (Spirit Tier 1 – not yet attuned)
Gold: 10 copper coins
*Side Quests: Open (see end of update for options)

---

You return to the cellar beneath the shrine, where a faint aroma of herbs and grounding incense still lingers. The cultist lies on the cot—shackled still, but breathing evenly, no longer wracked by Spirit residue.

As your steps echo on the stone, he stirs.

His eyes open slowly, blinking against the filtered light. Confusion flashes across his face, but then a flicker of recognition—he sees your Codex and the calm Spirit resonance still surrounding you.

“…You’re the one who severed it,” he murmurs. “The voice. The chain... it’s gone.”

You nod, and he seems to relax, just slightly.

Social Check – Success (Resonant Insight passive + Spirit 10)
You gain a sense of the man’s emotional state: wary, hollowed by recent trauma, but not overtly hostile.

He leans forward, weak but lucid. “I wasn’t with them by choice. I was taken. Twisted. They… they used the Veil to pull pieces of us out. Feed it into someone—something—they called the Bound One.”

That name echoes sharply in your Codex.

“Please… I don’t know where they’re going next, but I heard mention of a gate. Hidden deep in the Verdant Hollow. They mean to unearth it.”

Codex Update – Cult Motive Unlocked: Verdant Gate Ritual The cult seeks to breach a sealed gate within the Earth Temple. Unknown consequences if successful.

He shivers. “The chained figure... they called her the Harbinger Vessel. I think they’re trying to anchor her across the Veil, into this world.”

You sense his truth, tainted by horror—but not lies.

---

Halwen arrives shortly after. He watches the cultist quietly, then turns to you. “You’ve done more here than we could ask. If you intend to chase this through the Verdant Hollow… you’ll need to be prepared.”

---

You may now do the following before departing Windrest Hollow:

Side Quests & Money Opportunities:

1. Help the Apothecary (Available in the market)

   • Collect rare fungi near the outskirts.
   • Reward: 8–12 copper coins + herbal tonics.

2. Assist the Archivist (In shrine library)

   • Translate damaged pages tied to elemental lore.
   • Reward: 1–2 minor spells or lore insights.

3. Hunt a rogue elemental (Forest edge)

   • Air or Earth elemental disturbing the grove perimeter.
   • Reward: Elemental core + bonus from town council (15–20 copper or item barter)

---

What would you like to do next?

1. Pursue a side quest (choose from above or ask Halwen if more are available)
2. Depart for the Verdant Hollow (Earth Temple)
3. Visit the market for supplies or spell reagents
4. Attune the new Echo Thread spell
5. Speak to Halwen about tracking the cult through the Veil

What would you like to do?

[Donchadh]

Kinda want to go visit some of the other temples to up our other elemental levels....otherwise / alternative, attune to the new Echo Thread spell for me. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

You did see where there's a big bad chained up in the next temple and it's gonna be crawling with cultists?

[Donchadh]

Yes....but I was thinking more of the Air Temple (not the Earth).  Did I get them mixed up?

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

You think we should be hunting rogue el;ementals and levelling up a bit?

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Is there a Spirit Temple or is the Earth the last one? I think we have completed all the other challenges.

[Ithillian Turambar]

  On 5/1/2025 at 9:47 PM, Donchadh said:

Yes....but I was thinking more of the Air Temple (not the Earth).  Did I get them mixed up?

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We just completed the Air Temple before we came back to the village.

 

It's just that there was a lot of jumping and not much air improving.

[Ithillian Turambar]

  On 5/1/2025 at 9:49 PM, HeavyHalfMoonBlade said:

Is there a Spirit Temple or is the Earth the last one? I think we have completed all the other challenges.

Expand  

There is a Spirit Temple but I think it's like that castle from Krull and it moves around.

[Ithillian Turambar]

I don't mind what we do, as long as it's not go to the Earth Temple lol

[Donchadh]

In that case, let's hunt the Rogue Elemental.

[Ithillian Turambar]

I think we have to choose 1 for side quests and then choose again for the quests we want.