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Ithillian Turambar · May 13

Well so far we have 1 vote for number 1 and 1 vote for number 4

Ithillian Turambar · May 13

Ok Heavy has ripped the scales. We have a look at the first totem. I also asked for an update on what the Cult is up to

Thank you — let's update with your choice and clarify the chained figure's significance.

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Bond Status: Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)
Codex Insight – Chain-Echo Paradox Updated

You approach the first totem, marked by the ochre-glowing orb. A subtle hum fills the chamber as your hand nears it—earth vibrations responding to your presence.

The totem is carved with layered rings and small recesses, shaped to resemble burdens placed atop one another. It isn’t just symbolic—it’s a scale.

When your fingers graze its surface, the Codex responds, unfurling a whispered memory.

"Weight isn't only stone."
"Guilt, hope, and choice—they shape how deep we sink."

A hidden mechanism clicks within the totem. A recess opens, revealing three symbolic objects:

A small iron charm, shaped like shackles
A glimmering seed, pulsing with light
A fractured mirror shard

Each can be placed into the central socket of the totem. You feel the emotional resonance tied to them:

The charm carries regret
The seed hums with hope or potential
The mirror shard reflects truth or burden

Nyra hovers near your shoulder, watching silently, her wings still.

“It’s not about solving it,” she murmurs, “it’s about carrying it.”

Codex Insight – Chained Figure Clarified

The chained figure you encountered in the Heartroot Chamber beneath the Hollow is not the Heart of the Elements. Rather, it appears to be a bound echo—a manifestation of the Verdant Hollow's spiritual burden, tied to trauma or corrupted memory.

Your vision of the figure confirmed:

It is not currently free.
It is bound by vines and Spirit chains, not the same energy as the Cult's corruption.
Its release (or continued slumber) seems to depend on the balance of the temple’s Heart.

However, the Cult may have been seeking a similar entity in other elemental altars—attempting to use chained echoes as conduits to find or distort the true Heart of the Elements. You’re likely safe within the temple... for now. But time outside still flows—and the Cult’s ritual draws nearer.

What would you like to do at the totem?

Place the iron charm (Regret)
Place the glowing seed (Hope)
Place the mirror shard (Burden/Truth)
Ask Nyra to share her sense of which is most aligned
Step back and examine the second totem first

Turin Turambar · May 13

Our little MVP hasn't let us down yet.

If I had to pick one first it would be truth (3).

Gudrean · May 13

3 is probably best

Ithillian Turambar · May 13

We ask Nyra for help

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Elemental Bond: Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You pause before making a choice and turn slightly to Nyra.

She hovers near the totem—still small, no larger than a falcon, her form now defined by trailing green light and faint bark-like patterning over delicate limbs. Her leaf-fringed wings beat slowly, keeping her aloft. Where once she had only the flickering glow of a seedling, she now bears the quiet grace of a creature fully attuned to Spirit and Earth.

She gazes at the items—iron charm, glowing seed, fractured mirror—her golden-green eyes narrowing with deep thought.

"This is not just your trial," she murmurs, wings dimming slightly. "These weights belong to the Hollow, to all who failed or endured. I can feel what the earth remembers..."
"The charm speaks of chains no longer worn—but remembered."
"The mirror bears what one cannot unsee."
"But the seed… the seed is not yet planted. That’s the burden we’re meant to carry forward."

She lands lightly on your shoulder and leans her forehead to yours, transferring a pulse of sensation—verdant warmth, tempered by quiet sorrow.

“Hope, rooted in memory—that’s what the temple responds to. I think it wants to see if we still believe something good can grow.”

You feel the Codex subtly affirm her insight—Spirit threads flowing gently toward the seed.

Would you like to:

Place the glowing seed into the totem (Nyra’s guidance)
Place the iron charm (Regret)
Place the mirror shard (Burden/Truth)
Combine Spirit magic to test resonance before placing
Examine the second totem instead

HeavyHalfMoonBlade · May 13

We could ask Nyra but shouldn't we try ourselves first? I think 3 seems the best for the clue about not solving but carrying. Should we maybe look at the second totem first before deciding anything?

HeavyHalfMoonBlade · May 13

Well maybe just as well we asked then, lol.

Turin Turambar · May 13

Of course we follow her insight.

MVP! MVP! MVP!

Ithillian Turambar · May 13

Nyra has been reading a few pages ahead I think

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Codex Affinity: Earth 5 | Spirit 10
Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You take the glowing seed—a warm, pulsing knot of life—and step forward to the left totem, shaped like an ancient rootbound heart.

Your Codex hums softly. Nyra leans in, wings flaring faintly, whispering:

"Remember, not all burdens must be heavy. Let it root."

With care, you press the seed into the totem’s center.

There is silence. Then: a low, grounding pulse, like a heartbeat deep beneath the earth.

The roots twist inward and bloom outward—verdant strands unfurling from the stone, encircling the chamber. Vines creep toward the walls, forming a mural of growth from ruin. You see depictions of broken tools mended, collapsed homes rebuilt with vine and stone, hands reaching from rubble to lift others up.

Trial Passed – Memory of Renewal
You have shown the will to nurture growth from pain.

Codex Attunement: +1 Earth Affinity
Nyra’s bond strengthens – +1 minor healing per rest action

A doorway opens behind the totem—arched with woven bark and light. The next trial chamber awaits.

Would you like to:

Step into the next chamber of the Verdant Hollow
Return to examine the second totem
Rest here with Nyra and reflect (+minor Spirit/Earth interaction)
Cast a Spirit or Earth spell to see how they react to the space
Check your updated stats, spellbook, and bonded effects

Turin Turambar · May 13

Again, take a moment to reflect. It might prove worthwhile.

Ithillian Turambar · May 13

Reflection is good.

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Codex Affinity: Earth 6 | Spirit 10
Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You settle near the vine-etched wall, the recent glow of renewal still warm in your chest. Nyra curls beside you, her leafy wings folding inward, her gaze gentle.

For a time, the only sounds are the quiet creaks of wood and root… and the slow rhythm of the Hollow’s ancient pulse.

You close your eyes and open your mind.
Your Codex stirs—not with language, but sensation. You see flickers of memory not your own:

A fallen tree birthing a ring of young saplings
A cracked stone repurposed as a healer’s altar
A mother planting herbs in the ruins of her home

From Nyra’s presence you feel a gentle emotional nudge: Hope from decay. Roots in grief. Renewal is resistance.

Bond Deepens – Nyra’s Influence (Verdant Spiritform):

+1 Passive Earth Recovery when resting in natural environments
Minor Spirit-based insight during reflection scenes
Codex connection enhanced: You may now ask Nyra for advice in trials involving emotion, memory, or nature.

You rise slowly, grounded by the Hollow’s heartbeat, Nyra fluttering up to perch lightly on your shoulder, more sure of herself than before.

Would you like to:

Enter the newly opened chamber ahead
Return to examine the second totem
Use a spell to interact with the totem roots (Spirit or Earth)
Ask Nyra for her thoughts about the Heart of the Hollow
Review your updated abilities and bonded traits

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

Do we think we should look at the other totems before we move on?

Or ask Nyra for some advice?

It's just as well Battleships killed this game or I would have never given us that gold piece lol

#silverlinings

Turin Turambar · May 14

Either 2 or 4. Maybe check out the totem.

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

We have another chat with Nyra

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10 | Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You glance toward the root-twined passage ahead, then back at the second stone totem still waiting nearby. Something in your chest pulls both ways—curiosity and caution.

"Nyra," you murmur, "this place… this Heart of the Hollow—do you think it’s the same as the chained being the cult mentioned? Or something else entirely?"

She tilts her leafy head, wings catching the glow of lichen-light. You feel her answer more than hear it.

No chains. This Heart breathes. It weeps, but it waits to heal—not destroy. Not like the flame-bound echo. That one is hunger. This one… roots itself in memory.

You exhale slowly, the weight of that subtle truth pressing into your awareness.

"And the other totem? Should we examine it before we move on?"

Nyra hesitates, then alights briefly on your forearm, her wings folding gently.

The Hollow doesn’t force paths. But every totem holds part of the Heart. Like petals—open them all, and the bloom reveals its center. The last chamber will wait.

She flutters back to your shoulder, quiet and sure.

Would you like to:

Examine the second totem more closely
Use a spell to interact with the totem (Earth or Spirit)
Head into the newly revealed chamber
Reflect quietly and review the emotional visions tied to this place
Review your current status and Codex-linked traits

Turin Turambar · May 14

Yes. Check it out.

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

Yup let's have a peek at it.

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10 | Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You step toward the second stone totem.

Where the first had been carved with figures locked in battle and trembling guilt, this one is gentler in its lines—though no less worn by time. The relief shows a figure kneeling at the base of a great tree. Their head is bowed, arms outstretched not in supplication… but in surrender.

Around them spiral images of family: a child offered upward, an elder’s hand resting gently on their shoulder. Etched vines twist upward in a subtle pattern, curling into a heart-like knot above the figure’s chest.

The totem hums faintly as you draw near—something in it stirs at your presence, responding to your Spirit and Earth resonance.

Nyra flickers softly beside you.

This one remembers… letting go. Letting others hold the burden. That too is strength.

Your Codex pulses faintly—there is potential for resonance here, either through understanding or spellwork.

Totem of Surrender:

Passive resonance with high Spirit or Earth may trigger a vision
Can be activated directly via Spirit-based interaction or spell
Insight suggests this memory holds emotional weight tied to release and acceptance

What would you like to do?

Touch the totem and allow a Spirit resonance vision
Cast a spell (Spirit or Earth-based) to trigger deeper reaction
Reflect quietly and open yourself emotionally to the memory
Step away and continue to the inner chamber
Ask Nyra what this memory could mean for the Heart of the Hollow

HeavyHalfMoonBlade · May 14

3? Or are we leaning totally on Nyra for all this?

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

I'd would choose 3 as well

Nyra is totally our Cheat Sheet lmao

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

We choose to do... nothing

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Outer Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 17 / 17 | Fatigue: Rested
Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10 | Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You take a breath and lower yourself before the Totem of Surrender, mirroring the carved figure. The air is cool and earthy, rich with stillness and memory.

You don’t channel your magic.
You don’t reach with the Codex.
You simply let go.

The tension in your shoulders, the war-readiness in your stance, the weight of every choice since the Shrine… you release it, just for this moment.

And the totem responds.

It hums low, deep, like the roots of the world stirring in slumber. You feel something unlock—not a memory from your past, but from the Hollow itself. A long-dormant impression presses into you: a father who laid down his role as protector to become a guide, a warrior who became a healer, a stone once sharp with fury now worn smooth by choice.

You gain no sharp vision—only stillness. Stillness that settles into you.

Codex Resonance Gained – Memory of Surrender

Spirit + Earth alignment reinforced
EP increased by +1 (Max now 18)
Gain passive: Earthen Calm – Once per rest, you may negate the emotional or magical panic effect of an encounter (fear, frenzy, charm)

Nyra folds her leafy wings closer, perched lightly on your shoulder.

That was not power. That was peace. You carry it well.

What would you like to do next?

Approach the central chamber of the Earth Temple
Revisit the first totem (Remembrance of Strife)
Check inventory and spells
Speak with Nyra before continuing
Rest briefly and meditate

Donchadh · May 14

Another speak?

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

Talky talky talk

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Trial Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 18 / 18 | Fatigue: Rested
Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10 | Nyra – Verdant Spiritform (Linked)

You glance to Nyra, perched on your shoulder in her Verdant Spiritform. Her body is slender, plantlike—woven from vine and petal, bark and breeze. Translucent wings fold neatly at her back, faintly glowing with green-gold light. Her eyes shimmer with quiet knowing, ageless and fey.

She notices your gaze.

“You’re wondering if we’re ready.”

You nod, and she lifts off, hovering at eye level—her wings emitting a soft thrum like wind through leaves.

“This Hollow is still alive, in its way. The memory of the stone, the roots, the echoes—it’s listening. You’ve walked two paths now. Strife, and surrender.”

“That chained figure we glimpsed before… it wasn’t the Heart of the Elements. Not directly. It was a piece of this temple’s legacy. A warning—and maybe a protector, once.”

“But the cult seeks all the old bindings, and it’s not impossible they found this place once, too. That’s why you must anchor yourself. Let the Hollow see you as its own.”

She circles you once and then lands softly again, her form briefly trailing light as she settles.

“This temple won’t test only strength. It will test grounding. Let’s keep moving.”

Nyra’s Bond Deepens

Her Earth-aligned abilities grow.
Nyra can now briefly root enemies once per encounter (minor entangle, 1 round unless resisted).

What would you like to do next?

Approach the central chamber of the Earth Temple
Revisit the first totem (Remembrance of Strife)
Check inventory and spells
Rest briefly and meditate
Ask Nyra about her connection to the Heart of the Elements

HeavyHalfMoonBlade · May 14

Meditate?

Donchadh · May 14

I think we are fully rested? Perhaps it is time....time to move forward albeit cautiously.

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

I'm good to go on

Ithillian Turambar · May 14

We move on

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Heartroot Chamber
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 18 / 18 | Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10
Nyra: Verdant Spiritform (Linked) – Rootbind (1/encounter)

You and Nyra move deeper into the Hollow, past ivy-veiled arches and root-cracked mosaics. The path spirals downward, carved from solid stone and overgrown with lichen and bioluminescent moss. As you step into the central Heartroot Chamber, the air shifts—dense, humming, alive.

Thick roots coil from the walls and ceiling, converging around a massive stone heart suspended in midair by verdant tendrils. It pulses faintly, more like a thought than a beat.

A whisper fills the chamber—not with sound, but memory.

“Three truths. One root. The Earth remembers.”

A soft tremor passes through your feet. Symbols glow faintly across the stone floor: three pillars of carved stone rising around the heart.

Each bears an ancient glyph, now visible thanks to your Earth affinity and the Codex’s Spirit resonance:

Memory of the Seed – A trial of beginning, pain, and choice
Memory of the Stone – A trial of burden, weight, and will
Memory of the Root – A trial of connection, surrender, and endurance

Nyra drifts forward, eyes fixed on the heart.

“These memories aren’t just of the Hollow—they’re in you now. We’ll likely need to walk all three paths… but perhaps not in any order. Choose as you feel drawn.”

The Codex glows faintly at your side. You feel a subtle attunement forming—your choices here may shape more than power. They may shape what kind of Earth Master you become.

What would you like to do?

Approach the Memory of the Seed
Approach the Memory of the Stone
Approach the Memory of the Root
Examine the stone heart and central altar
Ask Nyra how she feels about these trials

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Codex Insight – Chained Figure Clarified

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