Game Thread: Tosti Hakisson

The gods must smile upon your strike for it is powerful, the arc of lightning and javelin together are sufficient to fell the on in which the weapon lands. All that remains is a wounded knight who spends some time uttering incantations to clad itself in translucent emerald armour.

You strike the remaining knight down, and absorb it's soul as it turns to ash. The way to the forests heart is clear.

You enter the glen, the stumps till sits there lidless but as you approach it the world around you becomes darker with a bright ray of sunshine highlighting the stump. When you arrive to the stump you act on instinct laying your hands upon the dead wood and relinquishing the soul into the tree in a sensation that feels similar to your healing power. The stump reacts immediately, life returns to the wood which springs skyward growing branches, until the hollow is covered by its impressive canopy. The grove is not dark, but everywhere filled with soft green light, making the forrest seem dark by comparison. Here you can feel the entire forest including a sense of darkness to the north, a feeling of loss akin to the sense you feeling of hollowing.

The tree speaks to you, in a sense, projecting images into you mind. First a sense if thankfulness and a promise of reward showing you the image of a great bow or a great sheiks. Both seem to be grown from the very tree itself.

You hear a creaking and the creaking of warping wood as a heavy shield made from hard wood is jettisoned from the trunk of the great tree before you. You get the sense of a panther leaping towards its prey, with a hawk flying about it, you have the sense that the panther is you and the hawk this shield. You then receive a new thought, images of prey pleading with its hunter, your attention is then drawn towards that sense of darkness, you then see a scene from the trees past, the sundering of soul from heart. It shows you the scene again but in reverse as it shows you consuming a humanity sprite, but here you get the sense that you represent the tree.

The sprite dissolves in your hand and is absorbed by the tree. You sense some essence flow back into you, as you receive a blessing from the tree.

Sheild of the Ashen Wood. The spirit of the ashen wood has long been tormented by some dark presence to the north, and this shield made of one piece of wood represents it's desire to be safe from this corruption. It is harder then metal and will not break under any assault. While holding the shield, you can caw like a hawk as a bonus action to cause it to animate. The shield leaps into the air and hovers in your space to protect you as if you were wielding it, leaving your hands free. The shield remains animated for 1 minute, until you use a bonus action to end this effect, or until you are incapacitated or die, at which point the shield falls to the ground or into your hand if you have one free. This shield offers superior defense to a normal shield, granting an additional +1 bonus to AC.

Ah Sir Tosti you have returned, ready to receive the blessing of Ash. Hand the dragonslayer amulet to me... The priest offers some incatations and as he does so some ash coalesces out of the air and falls upon the amulet. As he completes the prayer the amulet shudders and glows, knocking the ash from it. It is finished.

Sir Tosti I believe you miss remember, from here pilgrims head to the Firekeep itself. Once there they find the Temple of Light and pay their respects. The Ashen Tomb is no place for a pilgrim, it is a dangerous place. This tower served the purpose of representing the tomb for the pilgrims. For the particularly dedicated or for those who wish to honour not just the Saint who lies in the tomb but also those who have been sooted, travel to the top of the mound where the Shrine of Ash and Soot can be found. It i unattended as far as I am aware, but there is a place where you can give offerings in exchange for blessings. Though, He glances through you for a moment, I believe you already have a blessing of sorts, I don't think you could keep both...

Be well indeed Tosti. May the lord of light smile favorably on you and you fight with the saints by your side.