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DRAGONMOUNT

A WHEEL OF TIME COMMUNITY

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Posted

Yeah, lol, I was checking too. It has been a long time since I did any botany. As far as I can see, the radicle (what grows into the roots) is always more substantial and grows quicker at first than the plumule (what grows into the shoot). This may depend on the size of the seed and how deep it buries itself, one I looked at appears to grow the roots deep into the earth and then grow the shoot into the air carrying the seed with it. This is probably a very light seed that lies superficially on the soil. 

 

It makes sense as while the light is so important and getting there first even more so, the seedling needs water to grow and to expend everything on reaching upwards increases the chances the seedling will fall over (insufficient support and a much higher centre of gravity) losing any advantage in height it has and risking damage to the roots.

 

Maybe I have been thinking about this too much - I was a bit annoyed I could not remember a University course from 1995. My memory must be going, lol.

Posted

We go deep anyways cos this game is not always totally logical lol

 

Story Update – Day 14, Midday (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Trial Grove of the Root (Memory Vision)
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 14 / 19 | Earth: 8 | Spirit: 10


You push downward—deep into the soil.

Through the soft loam, through tangled filaments of ancient root and memory, into the weighted press of stone and sediment. You stretch not for light, but for foundation.

The earth tightens, resisting your passage—but you do not stop. Pressure builds. The pulse of the Hollow thrums louder now, denser. You begin to feel what others do not: faultlines, mineral veins, the slow tectonic drift.

You are no longer just a seed. You are becoming a Rootspine.


Earth attunement increases: Earth Level is now 8!
You gain a passive boon:
Stonebound Fortitude – While in contact with natural earth, gain +1 Physical Resistance and Advantage on saves vs forceful movement.


The vision shifts—roots stretching far, wrapping into tunnels, trees, even bone.

A voice pulses within:
"Strength alone is not form. What will you become with it?"


Trial of the Root – Stage 2: Challenge of Form

You are no longer rooted. You rise from soil as a humanoid shape of bark and stone—a body grown from below.

Ahead, three figures emerge, each walking from a different part of the grove:

  • A towering Oak-Knight, wielding a living shield.
  • A sinewy Thorn-Dancer, nimble and sharp, weaving through briars.
  • A vast Root-Beast, heavy and slow, dragging a trail of uprooted earth.

One must be faced to continue.


Choose your challenge:

  1. Face the Oak-Knight – Defend and endure. Learn patience in power.
  2. Face the Thorn-Dancer – Test speed and adaptability against form.
  3. Face the Root-Beast – Challenge brute strength, resilience, and stability.
  4. Ask the Grove if you may observe instead of fight.
  5. Attempt to absorb elements of all three—risky synthesis.
Posted

You guys and your risk it for the biscuit lol

 

Story Update – Day 14, Midday (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Trial Grove of the Root (Memory Vision)
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 13 / 19 | Earth: 8 | Spirit: 10


You do not choose a single path.
Instead, you reach—wide and deep. Not to fight, but to understand.

You extend your awareness toward all three presences:

  • The Oak-Knight’s unyielding defense,
  • The Thorn-Dancer’s fluid motion,
  • The Root-Beast’s sheer mass and inertia.

They react.

The Oak-Knight slams its shield into the ground with warning.
The Thorn-Dancer circles warily.
The Root-Beast rumbles, dragging furrows behind it.

Still, you open yourself further—calling on both Spirit and Earth.

Roots around you rise and twist. They do not attack. Instead, they anchor.

A glow pulses from your Codex. The sigils for Equilibrium and Root flare together—joined briefly by a soft flicker of Nyra's light.
Yes—she is still with you, barely visible at the edge of the vision, like a moth woven from leaflight. You sense her presence, small but steady.

The three guardians halt.

A voice, deep as stonefall, resonates:
"You would not master one form... but seek the Root of All."

You feel it surge through you—not strength, but structure. The way all things interlock.


Trial of the Root – Completed: Challenge of Form (Synthesis Path)
You gain a new passive:

Rootform Synthesis – You may switch between three elemental stances (Oak, Thorn, Beast) outside of combat. In combat, spend 1 EP to switch stances once per turn as a free action. Each stance provides:

  • Oak Stance: +2 DEF, cannot be moved by forced effects.
  • Thorn Stance: +2 Initiative, +1 damage on reactions.
  • Beast Stance: +2 HP temporarily, +1 STR-based checks.

Earth attunement deepens.
You feel the Hollow’s memory mark you. The final trial awaits.


From here, you may return to the Trial Circle. The final path remains:

  • Memory of the Stone

Nyra flutters close and lands briefly on your shoulder—light and small, wings trailing the glow of life-magic.
"I’m with you... till the last root," she murmurs softly.


What will you do?

  1. Return to the central Trial Circle.
  2. Reflect further here before moving on.
  3. Ask Nyra what she felt in the Grove.
  4. Attempt a Soulmark attunement with the Grove itself.
  5. Rest briefly to recover EP before the final trial.
Posted

Let's take a moment

 

Story Update – Day 14, Midday (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Grove of the Root (Trial Grove – Memory Vision)
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 13 / 19 | Earth: 8 | Spirit: 10
New Passive: Rootform Synthesis (Oak / Thorn / Beast Stances)


You remain still, surrounded by the lingering resonance of the Grove’s memory.

The ground beneath your feet is no longer just soil—it hums with ancestral depth, carrying stories in every root. You kneel, letting your hand press against the mossy surface, and feel it answer. Not in words, but structure, pattern, continuity.

Each of the guardians you faced has vanished—dissolved into the green beyond—but their essence remains embedded in the grove’s design. The Oak-Knight’s markings are etched subtly into the bark of nearby trees. The Thorn-Dancer’s fluidity echoes in the motion of vines in the wind. And the Root-Beast’s presence is echoed in the deep, steady pulse you now feel at the Hollow’s heart.

You realize: this was never just a test of battle. It was a lesson in identity. Form is not what you wear—it’s what you choose to shape.

Nyra hovers close by, wings dimly glowing, and rests again on your shoulder.
She hums softly. “They weren’t just guardians. They were questions. And now you have some answers.”

She brushes your cheek with a whisper of wind-scented light.
You feel a quiet pulse in your Codex—acknowledging the moment, sealing this memory deep within your Elemental Bond.


You may now proceed to the final path:

  • Memory of the Stone remains.

What will you do next?

  1. Return to the Trial Circle and begin the final memory trial: Stone.
  2. Ask Nyra what she thinks lies ahead.
  3. Open your Codex and examine the Rootform Synthesis stances.
  4. Meditate here once more to stabilize your Earth affinity.
  5. Attempt a Weave Fusion using the Root’s energy (costs 1/day use).
Posted

Does Nyra have clues?

 

Story Update – Day 14, Midday (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Grove of the Root (Trial Grove – Memory Vision)
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 13 / 19 | Earth: 8 | Spirit: 10
New Passive: Rootform Synthesis – You may shift between Oak, Thorn, or Beast Root Stances during battle (1/turn). Each grants a unique buff.


You turn to Nyra, brushing your fingers across the faintly glowing vines as she flutters gently to hover at eye level.

“What do you think lies ahead?” you ask softly.

Nyra doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, her wings beat once, shedding a shimmer of golden-green motes into the air. Then, she speaks—not in her usual teasing tone, but something hushed, reverent.

“The Memory of the Seed taught you to awaken. The Memory of the Root taught you to become.
But the Stone…” she tilts her head, wings folding close,
“...The Stone remembers what was broken. It's not about growth. It's about weight. About truths buried so deep they shape everything above them.”

Her voice trembles slightly. “Stone doesn’t forgive. It doesn’t change quickly. But it’s honest. Old pain… old strength… You may not come back from that trial unchanged.”

She presses one tiny hand over your chest. “But maybe you’re strong enough now. Just… be ready to listen. Even if what you hear hurts.”

Your Codex flares once in acknowledgement—resonant, prepared.


Remaining Trial:

  • Memory of the Stone

What will you do next?

  1. Return to the Trial Circle and enter the final memory: Stone.
  2. Ask Nyra what she meant about not returning unchanged.
  3. Examine Rootform Synthesis stances and consider a stance attunement.
  4. Attempt to draw out a memory from the Grove for a hidden boon.
  5. Use Soul Veil to peer into Nyra’s emotions.
Posted

Such goblins

 

Story Update – Day 14, Midday (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Grove of the Root (Trial Grove – Memory Vision)
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 13 / 19 | Earth: 8 | Spirit: 10


You kneel once more in the heart of the Grove, your hand pressed to the mossy bark of the great Rootheart Tree. Its essence hums with silent resonance. Though the memory is faded, you feel a lingering presence—threads of purpose still woven through its roots.

Your Codex responds to your intent with a low, harmonic pulse. You reach inward with Spirit and Earth, weaving together a gentle invocation of memory.

[Hybrid Spellcraft – Spirit + Earth]
Echo Root Ritual – Attempting to commune with latent memory remnants in the sacred Grove.

The vines around you stir. A warmth presses into your spine, and for a moment, your vision shifts:

You see a younger Verdant Hollow, vibrant and untouched. The totems stand freshly carved, and a robed figure—a Grove Tender—kneels beside a sapling wrapped in ritual silk. Their voice speaks into the wind:

“Should the Hollow ever fall, let the Seed remember,
the Root protect,
and the Stone warn.
Together, they shall open the path to the True Grove—
where the Heart still pulses beneath the soil.”

The image fades, but the resonance lingers. Something has been unlocked in the Hollow’s trials. A deeper path—accessible only once the final memory is awakened.


Codex Insight Updated – Verdant Hollow Lore:

  • The three trials form a key to unlock the True Grove, a hidden inner sanctum where the original Heart of the Hollow lies.
  • The Grove Tenders bound this Heart to the land to shield it from corruption long ago.
  • Once all three memories are experienced, the sanctum may be revealed through ritual or resonance attunement.

Gained Item:

  • Root-Etched Charm (Spirit Trinket – attunable to Codex)
    • +1 Spirit when in natural or sanctified spaces
    • Once per day: Regenerate 1 EP when taking damage while in Earth stance.

Nyra stirs beside you, eyes wide. “You saw it too, didn’t you? The first Heart… still beating, somewhere below.”


What will you do next?

  1. Return to the Trial Circle and begin the final trial: Memory of the Stone.
  2. Equip or attune the Root-Etched Charm to your Codex.
  3. Ask Nyra if the Grove Tenders who created the trials still exist.
  4. Meditate on the phrase “The Stone warns” for insight before entering the trial.
  5. Switch your Rootform Synthesis stance or examine current buffs.
Posted

We have a good think

 

Story Update – Day 14, Midday (Cont.)
Location: Verdant Hollow – Grove of the Root (Trial Grove)
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 13 / 19 | Earth: 8 | Spirit: 10


You sit in quiet contemplation beneath the canopy, your hand pressed to the cool stone circle that marked the Root trial’s end. The phrase echoes in your mind again:

“The Stone warns.”

You draw the essence of Earth inward, aligning with its grounded stillness. The Codex hums with quiet resonance, and for a moment, your thoughts expand—rooting into the memory network that binds the Hollow together.

[Spirit + Earth Meditation – Insight Check Passed]

A vision forms—dim, but tangible:

A massive stone monolith rises from deep beneath the Hollow. It's etched with warning glyphs and veined with glowing channels of sealed magic. You feel a heartbeat pulsing faintly within, but it is not the Heart of the Elements. This is something else.

You hear a Grove Tender's voice again:

“Should the balance ever break, the Stone shall pulse to warn the faithful. The corruption will seek it, but the Stone cannot be unmade. Only through harmony can it be heard.”

You snap back to the present. The meaning is clear now: the Memory of the Stone will reveal a warning or prophecy tied to the land's survival—and perhaps to the Shrouded Flame’s coming.


Codex Insight Updated – The Stone's Purpose:

  • The Stone contains a warning mechanism tied to elemental corruption.
  • It cannot be destroyed, only ignored—or misunderstood.
  • Completing the Memory of the Stone may reveal more about what is stirring beneath the Verdant Hollow.

Nyra, perched lightly on a nearby branch, speaks gently, “If the corruption seeks it, then the cult may already be hunting for the Stone’s signal. We should hurry.”


What will you do next?

  1. Begin the final trial: Memory of the Stone.
  2. Ask Nyra what she felt during your vision—does she sense the Stone’s pulse too?
  3. Equip or attune the Root-Etched Charm to your Codex.
  4. Check on any active Spirit/Earth buffs before beginning.
  5. Ask if the vision implies the Stone may also hold a fragment of the True Heart.
Posted

Onto the Stone

 


Story Update – Day 14, Midday
Location: Verdant Hollow – Memory Grove
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 13 / 19 | Earth: 9 | Spirit: 10


With resolve guiding you, you step toward the final trial to complete your path through the Verdant Hollow’s sacred echoes—the Memory of the Stone.

The trial site lies beneath a grove where trees bow low in reverence to a massive, rune-inscribed monolith. Its surface pulses faintly as if remembering your approach. Unlike the blooming Seed or the twisting Root, this place holds stillness—a memorial, and a warning.

Placing your palm to the stone, the Codex flares and accepts your intent.


Trial of the Stone – Complete
“To endure is to remember. To stand is to protect.”

The vision that comes is unlike the others.

You witness the Verdant Hollow fracturing under duress—corrupted tremors splitting the land, while druids and earthbinders raise the great monolith in haste. Beneath it, something stirs—an elemental rift, raw and unstable.

And beyond it—
A shadowy figure wrapped in fire and void, bound in a net of flickering chains.
Its gaze pierces through memory and time.
You hear only one phrase:

“Stone cannot chain me forever.”

The vision fades. You are left breathless.


Trial of the Stone – Complete

  • +1 Earth Level (Earth is now 9)
  • Earth spells now gain a minor fortify effect when cast in natural terrain.
  • +2 EP restored from grounding resonance (EP: 15 / 19)

Verdant Hollow Trial Progress:

  • Memory of the Seed – Completed
  • Memory of the Root – Completed
  • Memory of the Stone – Completed

Nyra perches on your shoulder, wings dim but steady. "The Hollow’s memories have accepted you. You’ve heard its Seed, Root, and Stone. Now it will awaken."

Your Codex hums. The elemental glyph of Earth is shining—awaiting final attunement.

A soft tremor pulses beneath your feet. Something has shifted deeper in the Hollow.


New Objective Unlocked: The Heart of the Hollow
You’ve completed all three Earth trials. The final sanctum awaits—
The place where the Earth Glyph will be granted, and the Hollow’s Heart revealed.


What will you do next?

  1. Proceed toward the final sanctum of the Verdant Hollow.
  2. Speak with Nyra about the chained being you saw.
  3. Re-examine your Earth spells to see the new passive in action.
  4. Use this moment to meditate and center your elemental bond.
  5. Review your inventory and Codex-attuned items before moving on.
Posted

We check with Nyra's cheat sheet

 

 


Story Update – Day 14, Midday
Location: Verdant Hollow – Memory Grove, Lower Altar Chamber Entrance
Status: HP: 26 / 26 | EP: 16 / 20 | Earth: 9 | Spirit: 10


As the hidden spiral of roots yawns open beneath the central altar, you pause, turning toward Nyra.

“That figure in the stone’s memory... the chained one. Is it the same presence that calls from below?”

Nyra folds her wings tightly, hovering close to your shoulder. Her glow dims slightly with a hush of reverence.

“No... but they are connected. The chained figure in the memory was a memory itself—a guardian shattered by betrayal.”
“What lies beneath is older still... The original Spirit of the Hollow. Not chained in stone, but bound in silence.”

She tilts her head, antennae twitching as if listening to something you cannot yet hear.

“The Cult tried to awaken it, twist it. But they failed. They didn’t understand it. The trials were not just protection—they were fragments of its own memory, preserved for a worthy soul to piece together.”

Your Codex pulses again—less like a warning now, more like recognition. Whatever is down there is waiting... for you.


Codex Insight Updated – Heart of the Hollow

  • The being calling from below is not the same as the chained guardian shown in the Stone memory.
  • It is likely the original Spirit or Heart of the Hollow, silenced and hidden by ancient druids.
  • Completing the Earth trials has allowed you to awaken its path.
  • The Cult attempted to reach it and corrupt its essence, but were repelled.

What will you do?

  1. Descend into the hidden chamber beneath the altar and meet the Spirit of the Hollow.
  2. Cast Soul Veil to sense the emotional presence of the being below before descending.
  3. Meditate briefly with Nyra to align your Spirit and Earth energies before going deeper.
  4. Mark this place and return to Windrest Hollow first to gather allies or supplies.
  5. Ask Nyra what she believes the Spirit might ask of you.

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