he umbering enace - Part II

After healing what wounds and other injuries they could they lined up two by two with Darkhawk and Colloran at the front and entered the wide entrance that sloped steeply into the ground. The soil of the passage floor was sticky and heavily churned up as if by the passage of many feet and this made going difficult until they had gone some fifty feet whereupon the passage levelled out. The air was damp and thick with the smell of earth, fungus and damp wood. Tendrils of roots dangling from the ceiling seemed to reach out to snag on hair, armour and cloaks. Soon after the passage levelled out they came to a curtain of longer, thicker roots that reached down from the ceiling almost to the floor. As Colloran and Darkhawk approached the roots twisted and turned and tried to reach towards the fighters. Trimus took a torch from his pack and lit it with flint and steel, it took several tries for the tinder to catch in the damp atmosphere, but once the torch was a light he wafted the flame at the roots. The hair like fronds on the roots shrivelled and burnt swiftly but the thicker roots were more resilient, they twisted and writhed violently as they steamed then started to burn. As they twisted one grabbed hold of Trimus' arm and started to drag the mage towards the inferno. Darkhawk drew his sword and severed the root. Trimus thanked the fighter with a nod as he rubbed his arm that had gone numb from the constricting pressure. Moving past the still smoking roots they entered a junction, passages much like the one they had just traversed ran north, west and east. Each had a curtain of roots blocking the way. Trimus approached the western passage and burnt the roots away with his torch. He then moved to the north passage and did the same. This time however the roots twisted away from the torch and gripped the mage around the throat. Lifted from his feet Trimus dropped the torch and tried to pull the roots from his neck. His kicking feet were soon bound as well and he felt himself being dragged towards the ceiling. Darkhawk strode forward and started hacking at the roots with his blade as did Jodotha and Colloran. The roots did their best but they soon yielded to the steal blades and dropped Trimus to the ground. Gasping and choking the mage curled up into a ball as he struggled for breath. Jodotha picked up the torch and burnt the remaining roots in the north and east passages.

As Trimus got up all could see the raw flesh around his throat where the roots had abraded the flesh. His white robes were heavily soiled and torn at the hem. They moved down the western passage which led to another four way junction. Turning south they arrived in an empty room some forty foot square. Returning to the junction they continued west and arrived in larger chamber. Trimus held a dirty handkerchief to his nose as they were assailed by a sour smell emanating from a pile of rotting vegetation in the corner. As Darkhawk disturbed it with his blade a large beetle emerged and spat a stream of foul smelling oil at the fighter. With little hesitation Darkhawk dispatched the beetle with his blade.

They continued through the maze of wide, damp passages finding nothing but rotting piles of vegetation. The going was tough, sometimes they were forced to crawl through passages barely a foot high only to end up in an empty room. Frustratingly they would follow tracks that petered out at a dead end or follow sounds in circles. Tired dirty and frustrated they eventually ended up at the entrance to another forty foot square chamber. This one was different though. Instead of being empty it was almost filled with roots which appeared to have grown from all four walls, the ceiling and the floor. Hanging suspended in the centre was the remains of a man. The roots had grown through him, emerging from heart, eyes and mouth.
"He is dead." Said Colloran. "And the whole room is full of evil. We must destroy it."
The others nodded and tossed in a couple of oil flasks followed by a lit torch. The roots burn swiftly as does the dried husk of the man.
"That must have been Mavath." Said Trimus as they moved away. "He appears to have been as much a victim as his forest."
"Do you suppose he was trying to cure the sickness when he died?" asked Ako.
"It would make sense."
"Colloran can you sense the direction of the greatest evil?"
The paladin shook his head. "There is too much evil down here, it is confusing my senses."

They continued there search, encountering rooms filled with sticky yellow fungus and floors that heaved with the presence of numerous burrowing insects. After a time Colloran called a halt as they moved along a swaybacked north south corridor. Over the sounds of breathing and creaking armour a more ominous sound could be heard. Similar to a forest in a strong wind the rustle of leaves and the groaning of swaying branches reached their ears.
"I sense a great evil." Muttered Colloran holding his sword out before him. Darkhawk took the form of a Celestial Knight and followed Colloran after allowing Ako to pass on the blessings of Normanus. Ahead of them the passage opened into a large high ceilinged chamber. Close to the entrance a withered and rotten beech tree sprouted from the ground. As they moved past it they glimpsed another tree, much larger, it's branches almost sweeping the roof of the cavern. The bark was scabbed with cankers and cracked with age and disease. As they got closer two large cankers moved revealing large resinous eyes while crack widened to form a mouth.
"Mortals." It boomed. "Why do you disturb my quest for immortality."
"You are diseased and disturbed. Let me help you." said Ako stepping forward.
"No. Foolish short-life. You shall die to feed me like the other ones. Leave me while you can."
They watched in horror as the floor buckled and cracked as the ancient treant pulled its roots clear and started to move towards them. Movement beside ahead of them indicated that the other two, smaller trees had also become animated and they were also closing in on them. Jodotha swung his sword which did little damage. Trimus cast a lightning bolt that showered everyone with charred chunks of bark as did a blast from Darkhawk's armour. Ako cast a spell of silence upon the treant so that it could not taunt them anymore. Cain and Ako then took on the smaller trees, protecting the flanks of Darkhawk, Jodotha, Colloran and Trimus as they attacked the treant. Using his staff Trimus cast another spell and a hail of icy shards slashed down upon his foe but still it lumbered forwards. He then felt the staff writhe in his hands as the treant tried to bend and snap it but Trimus' will held prevailed. Trimus seeing the treant approaching him cast another spell and flew towards the far corner of the room avoiding the creature's clutching branches. Turning around in mid air the mage flung a trio of magic missiles at his opponent. To his horror he suddenly felt his magical powers drained as the treant cast a spell of it's own and he fell to the floor. Landing awkwardly he felt the air forced from his lungs and heard some items shatter in his backpack.
Colloran seeing that Ako was being pressed back by one of the trees joined the cleric. Blood was pouring from a wound in Ako's scalp and he had to pause frequently in his attacks to wipe it from his face.
"Your mace will do little damage Ako." Said Colloran. "Stand aside and allow me to do what I can."
Ako agreed and stepped back, pulling a bandage from his scrip which he wrapped around his head, keeping the blood from his eyes. He then cast a spell at the tree, but it had no effect, either it was not cursed or the spell was blocked by the treant.

Darkhawk and Jodotha were chopping chunks out the treant but were failing to drive it back. The treant grew tired of this and swept the rogue aside with a sweeping blow. Jodotha skidded across the earth floor, his blade coming loose from his hand. As he scrabbled to his feet the treant cast another spell which froze him in his tracks. Trimus launched another pair of spells, first a series of magic missiles the other another ice storm. One of the smaller trees was weakened enough to by a blow from Cain. Darkhawk screamed as the treant picked him up and flung him towards the mage. Trimus ducked as the dark-armoured warrior crashed into the wall behind him. Darkhawk got to his feet slowly his left arm hung limply by his side, blood oozed from between the scales of his armour. The treant cast another spell and mist rose from the ground filling the room making it difficult to see anything. Trimus stumbled into the treant and was knocked to the floor and had to roll from side to side to avoid the crushing blows of the treant's stamping roots. Ako dashed across and dragged the stunned mage out of range.

Darkhawk reached into his pack and quaffed a potion and limped towards the treant which was looking weak as well. The Celestial Knight somehow dodged the flailing branches and thrust his sword deep into one of the widest cracks in the treant's trunk. The treant screamed and writhed in agony as the fighter twisted the blade in the wound. Darkhawk stepped backward, pulling his blade free with difficulty, as the treant started to sway.
"Step away everybody!" yelled Darkhawk hoarsely limping as fast as he could away from the dying treant. Scrabbling with its roots the creature tried to stay upright but failed and with a crash the treant collapsed to the floor in a shower of shattered and splintered wood. The second tree collapsed at the same time and the mist dispersed.

Silence reigned for a few moments as the companions recovered their wits. Darkhawk changed back to his normal form and approached the felled trees.
"Let's burn them and clear out." Said Darkhawk.
Colloran agreed, nodding his head solemnly. "There was much evil here, greed and a lust for power led to this treant's downfall. They are nearly immortal anyway but this one hungered for more and it cost it it's mind."
They threw the last of their oil into the room, making sure that the treant was well coated before lighting it with a torch. The smaller beech trees burned easily but even in death the treant fought against the flames before succumbing and burning with livid green flames.

Before leaving the treant's lair the companions searched the remaining rooms. One chamber contained a strange shifting mass of rotting vegetation. Colloran could detect no evil emanations but they still left well alone and moved on. Another room contained a water filled pit. The water was foul and slimy and as they watched bubbles forced their way to the surface and burst filling the room with the smell of rot and decay. The final room they visited contained the accumulated treasure of the treant. Along with a collection of coins in rotting sacks a search revealed a crystal vial containing a potion of speed, a fine silver and amethyst broach, a leather belt with a gold and topaz studs and a ring. Ako put the ring on and identified it as a ring of remedies, a useful item indeed.

They left the lair and made their way quietly through the darkening forest looking for a place to camp. Ako halted them at the edge of the diseased area and pressed his hands against the flaking bark of an oak tree. Summoning up a spell the cleric cast a spell of cure disease upon the tree. As the others watched, buds appeared on the seemingly dead branches and the bark appeared to be much less diseased. They slept close by the tree, Darkhawk, Cain, Colloran and Jodotha keeping watch over the others as they slept.

The following day dawned clear and bright. Colloran had been up early and was smiling as he prepared a cold repast for the others.
"I sense that given time, the forest will heal itself." The paladin said looking around. "Perhaps some trees will need to be felled, those that are too far gone could spread the disease even without the aid of the treant, but the forest is a resilient beast and it will recover."
"I wish to go back to the treant's lair and see if we can find Mavath's body." Said Ako quietly. "He may be able to tell us what needs to be done."
"You know I don't like it when you speak with the dead." Said Trimus, a slight edge in his voice.
"Yes. But I feel it needs to be done. He knows more of this disaster and the forest than we do. We must make use of his knowledge."
Trimus shrugged and reluctantly agreed.

They arrived back at the treant's lair to find it already starting to sag and collapse, the fires from the night before had cleansed the evil and dried out the soil. Cracks ran across the ceilings and down the walls giving a sense of impending collapse.
"I will be quick." Said Ako, "I don't expect all of you to follow me, Colloran if you would act as my guard."
The paladin nodded and the pair entered the tunnel leaving the others outside.

They returned a while later, covered in ash but otherwise unharmed.
"We spoke with Mavath." Said Ako to Trimus' silent question. "He asked us to save the forest, cure the trees and remove the curse of Travestis. We told him that we had killed the treant, he appeared pleased. Trimus can you close this place up, prevent any of the evil that may still dwell within from emerging, at least for a time. It would also prevent anything disturbing Mavath's rest."
Trimus nodded and bid the others move away from the tunnel. Standing back he cast a pair of fireballs deep into the tunnel. A muffled roar and a shower of clods later and the tunnel was closed. No one would enter Travestis' lair again.
Once they had returned to the city they paid a visit to the Forester's Guild. They suggested that a new druid was needed for the forest as Mavath was dead. They told the tale of the fall of Travestis and urged the foresters to return to the forest and do what they could to save the trees, in memory of their former keeper.

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