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[Donchadh]

Search deeper ... more loot?

[Ithillian Turambar]

We go totem hunting

 

Story Update – Day 16, Early Afternoon
Location: Petrified Grove – Whisperwind Totem Sanctum, West Sector
Status: HP 27 / 27 | EP 22 / 22
Elemental Strengths: Water 13 | Fire 10 | Spirit 10 | Earth 12 | Air 10
Codex Attunement: Whispermantle Cloak (+1 Air, +1 AC when moving, Advantage on Stealth in natural/misty terrain)

---

Leaving the Whisperwind Totem behind, you and Nyra make your way westward through the petrified canopy. The forest is utterly still, except for the wind threading gently through fossilized leaves. Occasionally, you see more of those crystalline roots pulsing faintly below the surface—echoes of some ancient life force still active beneath the stone.

Soon, you find the second totem—half-buried under twisted roots, its surface marked with spiraling sigils and soft ethereal shimmer. The symbol of Spirit pulses gently at its center, flickering between silver and violet. Despite its cracked surface, it hums with an unmistakable soul resonance.

Nyra immediately lowers her head, feathers puffing in reverence.

“This one is awake,” she whispers. “And it knows us.”

You place your hand on the totem. The Codex vibrates in response. A cold shiver runs down your spine—not of fear, but of memory.

---

A vision unfolds:

You stand in the center of a ruined city bathed in moonlight. Five figures, cloaked in shadow and light, kneel in a circle. One speaks:

“The Elemental Heart fractures further. If we do not divide it, it will consume all.”

The Spirit totem shudders as a voice whispers into your mind—calm and ancient:

“We hid the shards across the altars. One lies beneath this grove. Forgotten, but not lost.”

You awaken with your hand still on the totem. Beneath your feet, the ground pulses faintly.

You’ve unlocked a hidden path leading underground—sealed beneath layers of root and stone.

Nyra’s eyes widen.

“That shard… it might be part of the Heart of the Elements.”

---

Update Summary:

• Investigated the Spirit-aligned Totem to the west of the Whisperwind Grove.
• Received a vision of the Elemental Heart being divided and hidden—one shard lies below this grove.
• A sealed path has been revealed beneath the totem, possibly leading to a hidden shard or elemental vault.
• The Codex is glowing faintly with Spirit resonance.

---

What will you do next?

1. Break the seal and descend into the hidden vault beneath the Spirit Totem.
2. Ask Nyra what she knows about the Elemental Heart's shattering and who the figures were.
3. Return to the Whisperwind Totem and attempt a Fusion Spell before continuing deeper.
4. Mark the vault’s location and return to the village to gather supplies or allies.
5. Attempt to commune further with the Spirit Totem, risking deeper memory echoes.

 

[Donchadh]

Hello Nyra...

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Maybe just keep going? Though I'm not averse to more lore. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Another stalemate lol

[Donchadh]

I can roll with Heavy's desire for adventure....

 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Let's go down.

 

Story Update – Day 16, Mid Afternoon
Location: Petrified Grove – Beneath the Spirit Totem Vault
Status: HP 27 / 27 | EP 22 / 22
Elemental Strengths: Water 13 | Fire 10 | Spirit 10 | Earth 12 | Air 10
Codex Attunement: Spirit resonance active

---

You press your palm to the totem again, focusing your Spirit energy. The Codex pulses warmly, recognizing the signature below. Threads of ethereal energy slither through the cracks in the ground, responding to your elemental presence. The petrified roots tremble, and with a deep, groaning shift, the stone beneath you parts—revealing a spiral staircase hewn from ancient silverwood and obsidian.

Nyra exhales slowly.

“This place… it was meant to be hidden.”

With cautious steps, you descend into the earth. The air is cool and heavy, saturated with a hum of forgotten memory. The walls shimmer faintly with spirit-laced moss, casting pale lavender light.

After several minutes of descent, you emerge into a vast chamber:

• An altar sits at the center, surrounded by five elemental braziers—each now dark.
• Shards of crystal, broken and scattered, line the walls like teeth.
• Floating above the altar is a fragment of pure elemental essence, flickering with overlapping colors—predominantly silver-violet.

  This is no simple relic. It is a Shard of the Elemental Heart.

As you approach, the Codex glows hot, absorbing energy from the room. Visions and whispers briefly flicker across your senses—memories not your own, of balance kept, shattered, and nearly forgotten.

---

Choices Now:

1. Reach out and attune to the Heart Shard using the Codex—risking deeper resonance but gaining unknown power.
2. Study the braziers and altar carefully before disturbing the shard—this place may be warded.
3. Let Nyra try to read the surrounding glyphs—she may interpret the ancient protections.
4. Seal the chamber behind you and return later, with more preparation or Spirit-focused artifacts.
5. Use the Codex to attempt a Fusion Spell using Spirit while near the Shard’s influence.

 

[Donchadh]

Nyra to the rescue!

[Ithillian Turambar]

Let's get a little bit of advice

 

Story Update – Day 16, Mid Afternoon
Location: Petrified Grove – Vault Beneath the Spirit Totem
Status: HP 27 / 27 | EP 22 / 22
Elemental Strengths: Water 13 | Fire 10 | Spirit 10 | Earth 12 | Air 10
Codex Attunement: Spirit resonance active

---

You glance at Nyra, who’s hovering in still air, her eyes glowing faintly silver in the chamber’s half-light.

“Can you read the glyphs?” you ask softly.

She flutters closer to the edges of the altar, trailing a shimmering wingtip across the sigil-covered stones.

“These aren’t warnings,” she murmurs. “They’re… instructions. Like a ritual blueprint. This wasn’t built to guard the Shard from intruders—it was made to help a chosen attune safely.”

Her voice lowers.

“The braziers represent the five elements, yes—but they each need a spark. Something personal. A truth of essence. If you want to awaken the Shard fully, you must light them with elemental will.”

She gestures to the broken wall behind you, where ancient stone shelves hold dried bundles of incense, faded scroll fragments, and cracked vials long drained of essence.

“We’ll need to channel raw elemental energy from within… not spells exactly, but offerings. A moment of memory. A choice. A declaration.”

The Codex pulses faintly with warmth—awaiting your intent.

---

New Objective:

Awaken the Elemental Shard via Rite of Attunement. Each elemental brazier requires:

• A symbolic or emotional act tied to that element.
• Elemental power drawn from within (minor EP cost or roleplay offering).
• Once all five are lit, the Shard may fully resonate with your Codex.

---

Update Summary:

• Nyra has deciphered the glyphs. The ritual chamber is a site of controlled attunement, not a prison.
• Lighting the five braziers with personal elemental offerings is the key to safely bonding with the Shard.
• The Shard of the Elemental Heart hovers dormant at the center of the altar, awaiting full resonance.

---

Next Steps – What do you want to do?

1. Begin the Rite of Attunement by lighting a brazier (choose element: Water, Fire, Spirit, Earth, or Air).
2. Ask Nyra more about the ‘truth of essence’—what counts as a valid offering?
3. Review your past elemental choices and select symbolic acts for the ritual.
4. Attempt a Fusion Spell using the surrounding Spirit resonance.
5. Pause and rest, allowing deeper reflection before performing the rite.

 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Wow.

 

Complete silence.

 

Maybe another impending adventure got in the way.

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Not sure I understand the offering bit. Some extra info could be handy, though thinking about it, maybe not entirely necessary in a game of multiple choice, but still.

[Ithillian Turambar]

Well we shall ask Nyra

 

Story Update – Day 16, Mid Afternoon
Location: Petrified Grove – Vault Beneath the Spirit Totem
Status: HP 27 / 27 | EP 22 / 22
Elemental Strengths: Water 13 | Fire 10 | Spirit 10 | Earth 12 | Air 10
Codex Attunement: Spirit resonance active

---

You step beside the nearest brazier—its basin carved with ancient script, long cold. You glance to Nyra.

“You said it needs a truth of essence… but what exactly does that mean? What counts as a worthy offering?”

Nyra circles once over the altar, letting her wings stir faint motes of dormant light. Her voice comes slower now, more careful.

“This place wasn’t made for raw power alone. The braziers feed on identity—on choices, turning points, scars. To light them, you don’t just need magic... you need meaning.”

She gestures to the central monolith, where the Shard hovers in stillness.

“Each flame should be an echo of something you’ve become or chosen to carry. For example:”

• Water might awaken through compassion, forgiveness, or a moment where you chose stillness over violence.
• Fire could spark from anger mastered, a vow made in heat, or a stand taken for something sacred.
• Spirit ignites from grief, memory, or connection—especially to those you’ve lost or protect.
• Earth calls for resolve, duty, a stand held no matter the cost.
• Air needs change, risk, or a moment where you defied expectation and leapt.

“These are not spells. They’re reflections. You’ll feel it when it resonates. And when you give it freely... the flame answers.”

She lands lightly on your shoulder and hums, low and resonant.

“You already carry all five. You just have to choose which truths to offer.”

---

Update Summary:

• Nyra explains that each brazier must be lit not with a spell, but with a personal memory or symbolic choice aligned with that element.
• The ritual is a test of identity and resonance, not raw power.
• Each offering must be made with intention—drawn from moments in your journey.

---

Next Steps – Begin the Rite?

Choose a brazier and describe (or ask to review) a fitting moment tied to that element:

1. Water – Act of compassion, stillness, or emotional clarity.
2. Fire – Passion, conviction, or standing for what burns within.
3. Spirit – Connection, memory, or protecting the soul of others.
4. Earth – Stability, loyalty, or endurance in the face of adversity.
5. Air – Risk, change, or embracing the unknown.

 

So now you have to pick an element and try and remember something we did that reflects the particulars listed.

 

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

1. Water: we saved Kevin, we purified the Earth Elemental. We did other things setting things free but the bold Kerin was the first I think and easiest to remember and describe. 

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

I'm not sure I think if anything for any of the others though, lol. 

[Turin Turambar]

I really wanted to reflect first. Oh well. 

 

Water is as good as any. I imagine we need to do them all.

[Ithillian Turambar]

Yeah I was thinking of Kerin too. Good call on the Earth Elemental we freed.

 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Water... Kerin

Fire ... all the extra practising we did. 

Spirit... our connection with Nyra

Earth... saving the earth Grove heart and doing that trial

Air ... Continuing on the quest and seeking the knowledge of the Heart. Regardless or where it takes us

 

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Wow, very good, Ithi 🙂 impressive 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Ok we try Water and our memory of Kerin first.

 

Rite of Elemental Truth – Water Offering

You step toward the eastern brazier, etched with the curling script of flowing rivers and silvered droplets. The moment your hand nears the edge of the cold basin, the Codex pulses gently at your side—recognizing the call of Water not as force, but as choice.

You let the memory rise:

The battle had ended. Smoke still hung in the air, and your blood still surged with the fury of fire—but you had not struck the killing blow.

Instead, you spared Kerin, the young cultist whose mind had been twisted by shadow and fear. Others would have ended him there, but something in you resisted that path.

You saw the fracture in his soul—and you chose to reach out, not crush him. With Soul Veil and resonance from your Spirit glyph, you untangled his bindings, severed the cult’s hold, and gave him a chance to choose his own path again.

As the image solidifies, a drop of shimmering liquid falls from your palm—though you did not cry.

The brazier ignites in blue-white flame, quiet as moonlit water, and the stone beneath your feet warms. The Shard pulses slightly above the monolith, reacting to the first offering. A low, resonant note fills the chamber—one fifth of a forgotten harmony.

Nyra speaks quietly:

“One truth accepted. Four remain.”

---

🔷 Water Brazier: Lit

(Truth offered: Compassion over vengeance – Saving Kerin from the Cult)

---

Current Stats

• HP: 27 / 27
• EP: 22 / 22
• Water Brazier: 🔥 Lit
• Remaining Braziers: Fire, Spirit, Earth, Air

---

Next Options:

1. Approach the Fire brazier – Recall a moment of inner conviction, a vow, or a fiery stand.
2. Approach the Spirit brazier – Remember loss, soul-bond, or a moment of deep emotional clarity.
3. Approach the Earth brazier – Reflect on loyalty, burden carried, or an unshaken resolve.
4. Approach the Air brazier – Recall a risk taken, a leap into the unknown, or embracing change.
5. Pause and reflect – Review key moments tied to each element.

[Turin Turambar]

Maybe see if it just gives us the answers,  lol. 

[Ithillian Turambar]

Did you forget to react?

[Ithillian Turambar]

I like that we're getting help on this one.

 

Rite of Elemental Truth – Reflection Phase
Location: Sanctuary of the Shattered Harmonies (Hidden beneath the Misted Wilds)
Status: HP: 27 / 27 | EP: 22 / 22
Water Brazier: 🔥 Lit – Truth: Compassion over vengeance

---

You step back from the blue-lit brazier, the flame now steady and whispering like distant waves. The cracked shard at the center of the monolith hovers ever so slightly, resonating with your choice. Nyra lands gently on a stone pedestal, wings folding as she speaks.

“Each flame calls to a moment in you—a truth you’ve already lived. If you wish to reflect before you choose, I will guide.”

You nod, centering yourself. The chamber seems to breathe with you.

---

🔥 Fire – Memory of Conviction

Candidates:

• Your vow at the Ashen Spire, where you resisted the temptation of destructive power, choosing instead to master the flame with control, not dominance.
• The moment you shielded villagers with Boiling Lance and Firejet, igniting the path to safety rather than destruction.
• Your resolve during the cultist ambush, when you refused to falter, even surrounded by flame and shadow.

---

🌀 Spirit – Memory of Soul

Candidates:

• The Soul Veil encounter with Nyra, where your emotional resonance allowed her to form a bond beyond language.
• Your connection to the Spirit glyph in the vision at the obsidian ruins—an echo of forgotten guardianship.
• The breaking of cult bindings from Kerin’s soul—empathy beyond magic.

---

🪨 Earth – Memory of Endurance

Candidates:

• Your trek through the Elemental Wilds, where you carried your injured companion alone through unstable terrain.
• The Stonewoven Cloak moment, when you camouflaged and protected a wounded scout during a hunt, refusing to abandon them.
• Accepting your burden as bearer of the Unified Elemental Bond—a vow not to falter, no matter how many forces bend the world.

---

🌬️ Air – Memory of Change

Candidates:

• Your leap from the Skyreach ledge, trusting the Moonthread Sash to carry you safely through the updrafts.
• Your decision to abandon a set path to follow Nyra’s signal, leaving behind comfort to find the Misted Wilds.
• Forging the Veilbrand Surge spell—combining elements in a way never done before, reshaping fate through risk.

---

Nyra looks at you with calm curiosity.

“Your truths are already within you. All that remains is to choose… which will rise next?”

---

Current Status

• HP: 27 / 27
• EP: 22 / 22
• Elemental Strengths: Water 13 | Fire 10 | Spirit 10 | Earth 10 | Air 9
• Water Brazier: 🔥 Lit
• Remaining Braziers: Fire, Spirit, Earth, Air

---

Next Options:

1. Choose the Fire Brazier – Offer your moment of inner conviction.
2. Choose the Spirit Brazier – Offer your emotional clarity or soul bond.
3. Choose the Earth Brazier – Offer a memory of loyalty and endurance.
4. Choose the Air Brazier – Offer a leap into change or inspired risk.
5. Rest or prepare a new Fusion Spell before continuing.

Which elemental truth will you offer next?

[Ithillian Turambar]

I don't remember a few of them lol

[Turin Turambar]

Fire next. The Spire one. Control not dominance

[HeavyHalfMoonBlade]

Yeah, I'm a little hazy on some of those heroic saving the villagers and wounded scout moments. Maybe I wasn't present in the thread at those points 🤷‍♀️

 

Shall we go for the Ashen Spire fire moment? I like the villagers bit but as I don't remember it maybe we should not risk it. Maybe Skynet is just trying to trick us into claiming stuff we didnt' do, lol