Chapter 3: Ship people meet woods people

You can clearly see that Rada wants to respond something snappy to Annika but reconsiders. She sits down with her back against the tree and her arms folded in front off her chest. She reminds Annika off a small child that has just been scolded.
The druid said something about that the tree has to let her free on its own Phann whispers to Annika. Whatever that means...

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Drusilia gives a few approving nods as Aravel makes his conclusions
Indeed... There are things in these lands, that are foreign... like a splinter in your foot. And I don't mean you and the other ship people. You may have little consideration for nature but nevertheless you are part of this region, these lands... its spirit vibes within you... I can't tell you too much but there are places here where mother nature is... absent...

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Carric gives Tharadin a clap on the shoulder. You all seem tired from your journey. Maybe you want some root brew? We make it from herbs and mashed up roots. Before you can respond he walks deeper into the cove. After a few minutes he comes back with a hollowed out tree trunk in his hands.
He places it on the ground and you can see a greenish liquid sloshing inside it.
Carric hands you pieces of bark that are shaped like giant spoons.
Your friend over there liked it so much that old Father Tree embraced her. Carric remarks in an oddly cheerful way, dips his bark into the liquid and then drinks from it.

Tharadin smiles at the offer and takes the piece of bark, dipping a scoop of the liquid out, bringing it to his lips to sip it.

"Thank you," Krenmuth says. He takes the "spoon" and raises it above his head. "As do the trees that grow in the forest between the beach and here, may the friendships of our two communities grow from this day forward." The cleric lowers the bark into the liquid, smells it, then sips slowly.

Never one to let emotions or superstitions get in the way of actual factual research, Aravel took Drusilia's rendering of local spiritual energies with a healthy dose of nuance. He did not doubt that there indeed was something wrong locally (druids, while an odd bunch, undeniably had a sense for these things), but there need not be a spiritual tie. No, the simple fact that necromancy was practiced at the ruins might already be hint enough that the actual malady that afflicted the region might not be spiritual in nature but could instead have an arcane source, be it created willfully or unleashed by accident. The very hypothesis that the ancient civilization met its doom in a magical calamity of its own making made his scholarly senses tingle with excitement. To uncover the source of a civilization's collapse, imagine!

Noticing that he was actually looking rather inwardly focused whilst in public he recovered himself.
"Erhm. Uncovering the source of these local maladies might coincide with uncovering the history of this region, as is my current goal. Should I find a connection I will be sure to inform you. Once my research is done I wouldn't mind if you bring this place closer to its original state. It could do with fewer bogs and biting insects.."

After all, why not be the hero of the local elven community and the academic world?..

Melianne listens attentively to the story Rada relays to her and Annika - and by extension the entire clearing, as she is quite vocal in her disapproval of local sentient flora. And from what she gathers, the solution seems to be more or less simple, and exactly what Annika just proposed.

"Rada, dear, have you considered that this lovely tree might have disapproved of your choice of a place to answer your... natural urges?" The dancer can't help but giggle a little, looking up at the tree branches above. It is a very magnificent tree. "I imagine it could take offence to such treatment. Mayhaps you should simply... apologize to it?"

Well said Carric responds to Krenmuth's toast and takes a sip from his drink. The liquid smells like moss and wild herbs. The tast though is bit different, remarkably similiar to ale...

Drusilia bows her head and smiles in response to Aravel's promise

Rada furrows her brow in response to Melianne's proposal Apologize? To a tree? Really? Hrmph... Whatever... Maybe it helps
She turns to the tree and says Oy, Mr Tree. I'm really sorry that I took a wee behind ya. I just had to let go but I should've left the cove for my.... business. I won't do it again
Rada looks at the tree expectantly. Nothing happens...
She turns to Melianne again Well. Didn't work but it....
Rada is interruped by what seems to be a gust of wind rushing through the leaves of the tree. The rustling of the leaves nearly sounds like... whispering.

Surely its just your imagination playing a trick on you... But no... The tree... it wants to talk to you...
Somehow you feel the urge to go to the tree and touch it... It doesn't feel like you are forced to do this but it seems to be a such a good idea...

Annika is very familiar with whispering voices on the wind, and is happy to go along with them.

"Oh, Mister Tree is answering after all!" Melianne claps her hands and then extends one, pressing her palm against the tree's bark. "Is it a usual way of communication here, I wonder... They did say you were special for getting its attention, Rada - maybe we are making history here!"

Aravel heard the tree's call. It seemed very familiar in a sentimental way. All the more reason to ignore it, such nature spirits generally were mostly concerned with roots and leaves and the latest invasion of beavers. And yet, what if it knew something? That tree certainly was old. And before he knew it Aravel was headed towards the call..

Tharadin hears the call in his mind. Urging him forward. Never really much cared for people intruding on his thinking time, this felt worse. But as always happened when he tried thinking too hard, he missed the point. His feet moved him to the tree and his hand was on the rough surface before he could mount a good resistance.

The warrior inside Krenmuth wants to resist the desire to touch the tree, but the cleric he is decides to touch the tree. He thinks, The people here appear to be allies, and their gods probably are as well.

You all go to the tree, willingly or not and touch it. The leaves rustle, it sounds a bit like voices, voices that calm you down. And why shouldn't you...? It's so peaceful here after all, so peaceful in this cove....
Just as the vision ends you see some additional people in the cove. They seem to be druids too, though some are wearing leather armor and carrying bows.
Rada and Phann are standing beside the tree, both looking confused and the former surrounded by dried up branches that comprised her cage.
Even though the druids speak in a low voice you can see that they are excited.
Carric turns to you Oh, the old tree has finished speaking to you. That's good because It looks like we are about to be attacked he calmly states

Annika has always been a gambler. She grins at the old man as she lets the dice fly.

Krenmuth steadies himself instinctively even though the ground feels solid enough beneath him. He eyes the newcomers and asks Carric, "Who are they and what do they want?"

Our friends here... Carric says and points at the new arrivals ...were on their way back here when they met a large group of gnolls, lead by druids from the Green Triskel Clan.
We are not really friends but until now there were hardly any hostilities. They told them that they know that we harbor some of the ship people. They see you as enemies and they demanded that we join their fight against you. They also demanded that we extradite you to them. When we declined they told the scouting party that we are either for them or they see us as allies of the ship people.

Drusilia interjects And this probably means that they will attack us first and then your camp. We won't hold any ill will towards you if you decide to leave and prepare your defences. We will defend the old tree until our last breath though.

Search the cook.... Tharadin whispers, his voice trailing off into nothingness as he realizes the change in company.

If we're to make any kind of friendships, abandoning you to the attackers isn't the way to do it. he grumbles, rolling his head around letting his neck crack in anticipation. If a fight is what they hunger for, let's give them a proper meal. he finishes, eyes dancing at the prospects.

After blinking away the grisly and deeply disturbing vision Aravel became aware of the situation. Gnolls!? Attack!? How dreadful! He wanted nothing to do with this. But if these animals were going to attack wherever he went he would not be able to do his work in peace. And if he had to confront those beasts, well, then it better be with his wood-dwelling kin in their favored terrain. These druids were hardly powerless after all.
"I... shall lend my bow to the defense." Aravel offered magnanimously, before pulling out a rather modern modular bow which he quickly assembled out of three pieces, after which he deftly strung it.

Melianne is disoriented as she shakes off the vision, her hand going to her lips to stifle a small gasp of fear. It hardly helps that now there are way more people surrounding them, bearing news of a potential attack - but even with these new circumstances in place, Firebird has trouble focusing on anything else except a horrible premonition shown by the tree. When magical flora shows a magical daydream, surely there is a meaning to it... And what meaning she can decipher does not bode well.

While others talk, the dancer quietly looks around, both to try and regain her composure and to see if there is anything vaguely resembling petals around her. But of course there are petals somewhere, this is a forest; it can't be this simple. She clasps her silk scarf, thoughts jumbled, and waits for a pause in conversation before addressing Carric and her companions: "I believe we have to warn our friends back at camp." Her tone is anxious, and she can't exactly hide her worry. "But if we leave in a manner that the gnolls will notice, maybe we will be able to lure them away from your settlement?" Melianne glances at her companions. "If we are their priority, then they'll follow us... right?"

Krenmuth says to Melianne, "The only guarantee with gnolls is their viciousness. I prefer to make a stand here where we can better protect this sacred grove. I hope we have time to set up defenses."

Then he calls to the newcomers, "Good day, scouts! I am Wavewarden Krenmuth from the camp. How far away are the gnolls?"

"Yes, but our friends!" Melianne looks at Krenmuth almost pleadingly. "What if it is a distraction? I- I think the tree was trying to say something to me? If these gnolls are coming for us, then they knew that we are here, somehow. Maybe this is all a plan, and they are actually planning two attacks..." She turns to Callic. "Is there any way we can send a message back to our camp? With your magic? Animal messenger, tree speaking, anything?"