New World Campaign

[Doug]

A few days after the group's success defeating Eros in the Silthanost temple, Wyndamyr and Zaeryn call a Great Council to discuss moving on. The group is honored in much the same way the village honored Ethilias many long days ago. The council mainly appoints Hawenmain as a young preacher. The people have chosen him in many ways, though he is young. They witnessed him battling bravely on the rope bridge against the gargoyles. Many are drawn to his noble ways and sophisticated wisdom. Also he is one of the "wild oaks".

The wild oaks. That's what the villagers are calling Sleveen, Krisivan, Illmirranor, Hawenmain, and the adventurers who died fighting Eros. These villagers want something new to hold on to, someone new to listen to. In many ways, Hawenmain is on his path to being a spiritual leader that could inspire his entire nation.

The council also discusses moving on and restoring their way of life to normal. Sadly, many jobs are left open. Everyone is overworked. The village is too large and the people are too scarce now, but atleast there is plenty of food and water. And hope. Hope can carry the Silthanosti Elves a long way.

After the council, the group meets with Wyndamyr and Zaeryn a final time for a debriefing of sorts. The meeting location is the Wizard's Guildhouse, center room Zaeryn's chamber. A wolf that the group recognizes from the forest is resting near a window. The debriefing lasts some time. Finally the party walks outside onto Zaeryn's enormous balcony, supported by enormously thick limbs, overlooking the river below and the temple beside it.

The river is nearly restored to its normal flow. The tree-temple has recovered from the damage almost completely already. Golden sunshine makes it to the ground where it illuminates the roots covering the surface. The village is still mourning, though. Funeral rituals last all day every day and night. The village is still several thousand strong despite the events. There is a feeling of good blood in the air. The bad blood has been cleaned out, atleast, although so many questions remain unanswered to them. Some have spouses and loved ones who were claimed with no clear explanation as to where their remains are or what happened to them. The zombies that can be recognized have created enormous shame among families whose member's dissented from Linuilinuin and joined Eros' personal church.

The village lives on, though, and appears to be on its way to recovery. Looking at the city, you don't notice the wolf disappear, but suddenly you are in the presence of Ethilias. He looks over the village from the balcony.

"...balancing the power of magic and might, of sorcery, of evil and good, if I protected my people from everything, then I would breed a race of Elf so powerless on their own, they might never survive in the New World," he says, smiling. "The Quest for Balance must be won from within." Then, looking at the group he says, "Have many children!"

"That's how he says 'thankyou'," a voice says, giggling from out over the edge of the balcony. Walking through the air, a leaf-clad green Goddess slowly appears. She paces down to the balcony. It is the Lady, Linuilinuin.

Looking over the village, as the sun slowly sets sending yellow streams of light through trees, you see the progress being made to return to normalcy. You see the resiliency of the Silthanosti Elves, you see their fight. You find yourself in their future, and theirs in yours. For the safe keeping. For their salvation.

OOC: Your opportunity to roleplay if you want to. But everything that happens from here out is outside the realm of the Nature's Riddles campaign. The Quest for Balance is complete!!! Thank you for playing! Everyone that contributed I hope you enjoyed playing something that lasted 17 months! There was a hiatus but most of that was good roleplaying and battling. There's been over 800 posts! I consider this a success and it's only one of many now on this message board. Hal even told me that he got a scholarship for his creative writing based on Nature's Riddles! That's great.

OOC: In the future there should be more campaigning for me, but atleast not for another 10 months or so. I encourage you to use your characters in campaigns, build upon them, and build upon their stories. I tried my hardest to give them a complex and unique DnD experience, so I really want to see them in campaigns again. They are all plugged into the New World now. Thanks again I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.