SCENE 2 - Confluence

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil was surprised when the tree actually spoke out loud. He had assumed that it was the whisper of Erigion that had been putting words in his own mouth and now that same spirit seemed to animate the tree as well.
The Gondorian, out of habit, slipped into his native Sindarian tongue.

"Edrahil! Do you see it? I simply recalled an old bit of song from when I was a child and here it is. IS this truly one of the tree shepherds, or have I conjured it in these lands in which the great craftsman of the Noldo once dwelled?"

[tomcat]

"Nay, sir, this be no conjuration. It is truly one of the shepherd's of trees that is before us." The companions could hear the excitement in the Sindar's voice. Edrahil looked around to see if there was such animus in any other of the trees that stood, still tall along the river, but it was apparent that though alive, the others were naught but normal trees. Still, in looking at the woods the Elf caught the gloom of it for the first time. Something hung over these trees, imperceptible to most but not one of the First Born - it was a fear, or a blight of evilness.

Edrahil looked towards the Ent, "Where are the Ents, Old One? Where are the Children of the Wood?"

Hearing the voice of an Eldar - a voice that rang with the Old Days, though Edrahil had not himself seen them - the old tree turned completely in their direction, as if noticing them all for the first time. It had a face that was draped in ivy and fern, but its eyes were dark and sunken. "GRUUUMM TUMMM-TI-TOOOOM! Children? Walked the far reaches...don't drink the water...poison the roots. The Ents? You know them? BOOOOM BOOOM TOOOOM TOOOM!"

Fengel drew to Edrahil's right flank, his hand on his sword. "Edrahil, should we be afraid?"

The Elf shook his head, "No...I don't believe there is any threat here, but do not put hand to haft, sir Dwarf. Let us be sure that she is not misunderstanding as to who we are - that this," he gestured around him, "was not our handiwork."

In a creaking, groaning and flakes of bark, the Ent stood to a towering height and now stared down at them. Its legs were firmly set apart and the men could see what could be called toes were digging into the soft earth. Again the booming voice filled the muffled silence and it suddenly seemed angry, "WHO CUT DOWN MY TREES? DID YOU?"

Fengel shouted, "NO... it was not us. It was others - Men and Orcs! Evil things! We are here to find them. We are here to find our friends who came looking before us."

"GRUUUUMM...I do not like Orcs." The answer was stretched and slowly spoken, "Nor Men with axes and fire!"

Edrahil spoke next and his voice came like a song, "No, we are not of those Men. Nor do we endure Orcs, as well. We seek those that had done this for they also harmed the people across the river - some of our people were slain at their hands, just like your trees. Four others came before us... did you see them pass? For certain they would not have noticed you. What is your name, lady shepherd?"

The Ent's voice softened to the sound of wind through leaves, "NAME?" The word drew out like a long breeze. "They called me Willow...but now I am Witherfinger. All is dying. All is dead. No more Ents to be found. The children have walked into the shadow of the wood. TOOOM BOOOM-TI-TUM! Slugs rot, insects bore...weakening our tough hides. A storm is coming. See your friends?"

The companions looked to one another as the Ent seemed to talk to them, then to itself, and then to stare off into a distant time. Fengel spoke, "I fear it is not of a right mind." To which Edrahil gestured to not speak of such things. The Sindar spoke again in the sing-songy voice, "Yes, our friends...did they come through here, or pass?"

"North, against the river's flow. A boat passed with four of the short-lived ones aboard. Further north..."

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil remained silent during the exchange between the elf and the ent, for he too heard the trepidation and uncertainness in the voice of the tree.

Quietly he spoke to those around him in the common tongue, "I think we should respectfully take our leave, be thankful for having seen this sight, and quickly be on our way. We have found what we have sought, and the elven tower is that way as well. I don't think it would be wise to converse with Willow very long." 

[GandalfOfBorg]

"Edrahil, is... is there anything you or we can do to help?"  This sight, wondrous indeed, saddened Durgil.  "We can't just leave it be for what if those we hunt come across, uh, her?  They would surely destroy the creature."

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael, still slack-jawed at what he was seeing and hearing, turned to Edrahil.
"Can you tell this creature how to get to the nearest forest; a place to take refuge?"

[Stefan]

Nain stood staring at the talking tree, mouth agape.  His mother had told him elf stories about giant eagles that could carry a dwarf away and talking trees that herded the forests, but the idea that they'd been anything more than stories to scare dwarf children into staying under the mountain had never entered his mind. 

[tomcat]

The ent is speaking in common, just so you all know, so anyone can talk to it.



Edrahil shook his head, "How would we tell her to go to Fangorn, or the Old Forest? Mirkwood is farther still, but would she survive the journey alone? She does seem lost, or forgotten here in this sad place."

The ent was now looking about left and right, as if in search of something, to which her words added, "Where? Where? Where did I leave them? Children in the shadows...the eaves of the wood have drawn back like the sea. Where? Oh...no...shadow in the woods. They're here. Blight. Blight on all of us!"

The companions' attention was suddenly drawn to a new sound of brush and branches moving. From the tangles of the marshy forest came three hulking, ominous shapes. To say they were living would be false; they moved with the likes of men, but tall as the ent. Shadow and evil draped them and the two guides were taken with panic. Matty cried out and fell backward into the river water, as Del grunted and staggered his own way back into the water towards the boat.

"DEATH!" cried out one of the village men. "DEATH HAS COME!"

[Stefan]

Nain, shaken out of his stupor by the men's yelling pulls his axe out and turns to see what was crashing through the forest toward them.

[GandalfOfBorg]

 Lol just because it speaks Common doesn't mean we want to speak directly to it 

Durgil moved to intercept the dark creatures, bringing his bow to bear.  "Come no further.  You do not belong here."
Intimidate(Power) - Roll(2d6)+8: 1,5,+8 Total:14

[Stefan]

  Agreed, Ogres Nain can deal with, but talking trees is something that he's going to take a little while to wrap his head around, chatting with the tree he'll leave to the elf.

[Telcontar]

Celdrahil turned to see what was shambling through the underbrush. Unconcerned for the moment about his bow he dropped it to the ground as most likely unsuited to the current task. A quick flood motion brought both his shield down and his sword to hand.
"The sunlight is with us!"

Bearing Test for Valiant Trait

Rolled 2d6+1 : 3, 1 + 1, total 5

[sdrotar]

Dirnhael readied his shield and drew Vorandur; the enchanted metal singing as it raised from its scabbard -- though he wondered what use his blade would be against something so massive.
"What kind of foul monstrosity is this," he asked... to Edrahil, to the giant tree... to whomever might have an answer.

[tomcat]

The Elf did not answer Dirnhael as he started to think through his incantations of what might aid them in a battle against such as these.

[Telcontar]

  Valiant test was successful, correct?

[tomcat]

Hey Tom, no, the TN to activate Valiant is 10