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[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

You'd think we should start at 1 with the trial of beginning but I suppose we should ask Nyra? 

[Donchadh]

Look before leap?

[Ithillian Turambar]

We check out the Altar first

 

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 approach the central altar, where the great stone heart floats, suspended by thick roots like living chains. As you draw near, the Codex hums at your side. Symbols on the heart begin to glow—ancient and angular, their meanings just beyond comprehension. Your Spirit attunement lets you glimpse the echoes within them: choices carved into memory, pain held in stone, truths that were never spoken aloud.

The heart pulses in response to your presence. The Codex pulses back.

“Earth remembers… but it forgets nothing lightly.”

A ripple of memory floods your senses:

You see a grove choked by fire. A guardian of stone, cracked and weeping sap. A child, planting a seed despite the ash. And the moment of binding—not to power, but to purpose.

Nyra flutters close, her leafy wings trembling.

“This isn’t just an altar—it’s a Convergence Stone. The Hollow’s true heart. What you unlock here won’t just grant strength—it will echo outward, to the land itself.”

The Codex flares with light. A message etches across its page:

Convergence Insight Gained

• The Heartroot is tied to the balance of Earth essence across the region
• Awakening it requires resonance with all three memory pillars
• Completing all trials may grant the title Warden of the Rooted Path
• Incomplete resonance may still grant a boon—but its nature will vary

---

What would you like to do?

1. Begin the Memory of the Seed trial
2. Begin the Memory of the Stone trial
3. Begin the Memory of the Root trial
4. Ask Nyra what she thinks of the echoes you saw
5. Touch the Heartroot directly and attempt early attunement

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Ask Nyra again? Or just start the first trial. We might be here for a while yet otherwise. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

I vote for just getting on with it, starting with the seed trial

[Donchadh]

Seed it is....

[Turin Turambar]

[Ithillian Turambar]

We get on with it

 

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Memory Trial – Seed
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 18 / 18 | Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10
Codex: Unified Elemental Bond – Active
Trial Initiated: Memory of the Seed

---

You rest your palm against the Heartroot’s surface, and the world shifts. Stone dissolves into loam and light. You are standing in a sun-dappled glade, where ash still clings to the leaves. A single sapling—small, bright green, defiant—grows in the center of the scorched earth.

A figure kneels before it. A child in tattered robes, their hands shaking, a seed cupped in their palms. Spectral and silent, they plant it in the ashes.

“Even here, something can grow.”

Suddenly, darkness encroaches—manifesting not as shadow, but doubt. Whispering voices swirl around you:

“What is the point?”
“The forest is gone.”
“You will never restore what was lost.”

The trial’s magic sharpens.

You must protect the seed from corruption.
Your EP hums—this is a test of elemental balance and resolve. You sense you can use Earth, Spirit, or a hybrid Weave to shield the sapling.

Nyra hovers behind you, glowing faintly. “This is old magic. Intention matters.”

---

Trial Challenge: Whispering Dread

You must endure and repel three waves of doubt manifestations. Each wave increases in intensity. Success will deepen your connection to Earth and memory magic.

What will you do for the first wave?

1. Cast Earthen Bulwark (Earth-only spell – 2 EP) to raise a barrier of stone
2. Cast Rootbind Ward (Hybrid Spirit+Earth weave – 3 EP) to anchor the seed with memory-bound roots
3. Channel a Silent Vigil (Spirit-only focus – no EP) and face the whispers directly
4. Ask Nyra to assist with her Rootbind ability
5. Attempt to combine options with a custom Weave (describe approach)

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Start with 3 and leave the others for the more intense waves? Not really sure on this one.

[Donchadh]

Sure!  I can get on board with that strategy. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

We start simply

 

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Memory Trial – Seed
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 18 / 18 | Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10
Trial: Whispering Dread – Wave 1 of 3

---

You exhale slowly, letting the rising dread pass over you like a storm that cannot touch the roots. You kneel beside the sapling and close your eyes.

Silent Vigil – Spirit Focus Chosen (No EP cost)

You do not raise a shield. You do not push back. You listen.

The whispers surge:

“What is the point?”
“The forest is gone.”
“You will never restore what was lost.”

But instead of rejecting them, you sit with them. The doubt. The sorrow. The memory of ruin. You allow it to exist—but not define you.

The glade steadies. The whispers falter. The spectral child looks at you with wide, tear-bright eyes, then turns back to the seedling, now trembling but untouched.

Spirit attunement deepens – you feel your connection to memory and intention strengthen.

Wave One Endured – No EP spent. Minor Spirit resonance gained.

Nyra flutters beside you, wings faintly gleaming with rootlight. “That… worked,” she says, tilting her head. “But it won’t be enough for what’s next.”

The shadows gather again, thicker now. They swirl into jagged shapes—twisted vines and burning ash—manifesting around the sapling.

Wave Two Incoming – They strike not only with doubt, but with illusion.

---

What will you do next?

1. Cast Earthen Bulwark (2 EP) – Block the illusions with stone
2. Cast Rootbind Ward (3 EP) – Hybrid Spirit+Earth defense, binding illusions to past truths
3. Invoke Silent Vigil again – Attempt to weather it without magic
4. Ask Nyra to assist, invoking her Rootbind ability
5. Attempt a custom Weave (describe your elemental intent and combination)

[Ithillian Turambar]

I'm thinking number 2

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Me too. Then ask Nyra to help with the next one and cast every spell in the book. Except for the first one, not really sure a stone wall is going to help a lot here. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Ok let's do that

 

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Memory Trial – Seed
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 15 / 18 | Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10
Trial: Whispering Dread – Wave 2 of 3

---

The illusions twist upward like choking thorns—specters of failure, of fire, of the seedling shriveling before your eyes.

You plant your hand into the soil. “No more lies.”

You cast: Rootbind Ward (3 EP) – Spirit + Earth Hybrid Weave
Effect: Disrupts illusory enchantments, anchors memory to truth, and strengthens spiritual clarity

Vines surge from your hand, glowing with deep green and pale silver. They lash outward—not to harm, but to bind. They snake through the illusions, anchoring them to the soil, forcing them to take form.

You see them for what they are: memories twisted by despair. A ruined grove. A lost companion. Flickering shadows of paths you didn’t walk.

The vines pulse with light, unraveling each lie. The fire vanishes. The seedling stands unharmed.

Wave Two Endured – Rootbind Ward successful.
You gain a minor boost to Spirit-based insight for the remainder of the Trial.

Nyra lands gently on your shoulder, wings flickering. “They’re getting desperate.”

Indeed, the air churns—heavier now. The third and final wave looms. You feel it not in the air, but in your bones.

A cloaked figure appears—tall, hooded in bark and ash. It bears the voice of a thousand regrets:

“What right do you have to heal this place?”

The seedling quivers under its gaze.

---

What will you do next?

1. Call out the figure – Demand its identity and intent
2. Attempt a Spirit Reading (free, enhanced by trial)
3. Cast Veilbrand Surge – Use your fusion Weave to purge the corruption
4. Meditate beside the seedling – Invite Nyra to join in silent resistance
5. Attempt a custom Weave or ritual (describe your action)

[Ithillian Turambar]

Sorry for not being about most of yesterday. I'm feeling a bit like a nothing burger atm. It happens sometimes when I get over tired and drained. Nasty little sad bubbles. Just 1 more week and I get a week off work and that usually helps.

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

No worries, Ithi. Participation should not be a chore not even for the Game Modess 🙂

 

Take a break whenever you want. 

 

Back to the game,er, no idea. 1 as a start? Or 3? Or 2 or 4? Maybe 1, answering a question with a question is bound to confuse them. Cannot trust these cloaked figures at all, lol. 

[Turin Turambar]

WIFOM them, sound strategy. 

 

I think 2. 1 would be fun.

 

I am the chosen one!!!

Begone foul dwimmerlaik!!

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

I'll just put a competing train on 1 and see what shakes loose, lol. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

@DPR what you doing in my adventure and what have you done with Heavy?

[Donchadh]

  On 5/16/2025 at 7:23 AM, Ithillian Turambar said:

It happens sometimes when I get over tired and drained.

Expand  

Rest and recover... please!

Playing this game with you, Heavy and Turin has been wonderful.  Thank you so much for that.

[Ithillian Turambar]

I've got 4 hours of sitting here left and it's the weekend

 

Let's do the careful spirit thing

 

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Memory Trial – Seed
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 15 / 18 | Earth: 6 | Spirit: 10
Trial: Whispering Dread – Final Wave (Initiated)

---

The figure stands unmoving, a cloak of ash and bark swirling in invisible winds. The seedling trembles at its presence, its leaves curled against the weight of the unseen.

You step forward slowly, breathing evenly as you lower your guard—not in surrender, but in trust.

You initiate a Spirit Reading…

Your Codex hums with resonance, the fused Soulmark token pulsing at your fingertips. Threads of silver and green stretch into the air, weaving between you and the figure.

Your vision dims—and then clarifies.

You see the figure not with your eyes, but with your spirit.

It is not a true enemy. It is an echo of a guardian—a remnant of an ancient protector who was corrupted when the Hollow fell.
Its form is bound to this Trial, tasked with testing those who would dare to restore what was broken. But its sorrow has twisted it.

You sense the fragment of purpose still clinging to it, buried beneath grief:

“Will you carry what we could not? Will you face the rot of the roots, the poison in the grove, the fire in the deep earth?”

Nyra presses against your neck softly. “They’re not trying to stop us. They’re waiting for someone strong enough to finish what they couldn’t.”

The figure lifts its hand—not to strike, but to offer.

---

You have passed the first half of the Final Wave.

You may now choose how to respond.

---

What will you do next?

1. Accept the figure’s burden – Let the guardian’s memory pass into you
2. Cast Veilbrand Surge to cleanse and honor its remains
3. Kneel and place your hand on the seedling – Invite the figure to witness your promise
4. Attempt a custom ritual or spell to seal the guardian’s sorrow
5. Speak to Nyra – Ask if she remembers anything from this place's fall

[Donchadh]

Help? Accept the burden...

[Turin Turambar]

1 or 3. It seems like we need to learn from them and show our commitment to the saplings growth. 

 

Feels like 1 first but maybe just go to 3???

[Turin Turambar]

Think 1 is the way. Let's be strong. Nyrais here supporting. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

We accept the burden

 

Story Update – Day 14, Morning (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Earth Temple, Trial of the Seed
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 15 / 19 | Earth: 7 | Spirit: 10

---

You step forward with calm intent, arms open in empathy rather than aggression. The guardian figure of memory—wreathed in living bark and echoing sorrow—regards you silently. Then, with a deliberate motion, it reaches out, placing a hand upon your Codex.

The connection is immediate. Power surges—not with fire or fury, but with weight. Memory floods you: the loneliness of abandoned roots, the despair of watching a sanctuary wither, the bitter cost of sacrifice… and the stubborn, radiant hope that something might someday bloom again.

Your Codex pulses, absorbing the remnants of this ancient spirit.

The memory-guardian breathes one last time, a shuddering sound like wind through fallen leaves—then unravels into strands of golden light. Flowers unfurl around you, the broken vines rejuvenate, and stone gives way to soft moss. The chamber, like the Hollow itself, exhales in relief.

---

Trial of the Seed – Completed
You have accepted the Guardian’s Burden.

• +1 Earth Affinity (Earth is now 7)
• +1 Max EP (Now 19)
• New Passive: Earthen Will – Once per long rest, automatically succeed on a Strength or Constitution saving throw while grounded.
• Codex Entry Unlocked: Seed of Burden (Attuned Memory Relic – grants insight into the Hollow’s legacy)

Nyra lands lightly on your shoulder, her leaf-like wings stirring softly. “You carry it now. The pain, the promise... and the path forward.”

---

The Trial of the Seed is complete. The way back to the central chamber now lies open.

What would you like to do next?

1. Return to the central chamber of the Verdant Hollow
2. Meditate briefly with the Seed of Burden (spend 1 EP for a deeper insight)
3. Speak with Nyra about the Guardian and what this means for your path
4. Review current stats, spells, relics, and Codex entries
5. Take a short rest here (recover 1 EP and clear minor fatigue)