Tilia’s Field Notes: Into the Elven Ruins

We were cautious about entering the forest after the orc encounter in the mountain, and indeed, it was a strange place. Normal forest gave way to what seemed to be an ancient battleground, with rusting arms overtaken by new foliage. It was salve to my soul to see how the forest reclaimed its space after a violation of the natural order.

The landscape became stranger and stranger as we went on. Eventually the forest stopped altogether and odd pools of silvery liquid formed a sort of moat separating the embattled forest from a particular lush patch at its center. We cautiously picked our way through on paths leading into one of the healthiest forests I’ve ever seen. It was consecrated ground, a sacred forest, and I wished I could linger among the ruined statues and columns wreathed in vines.

But the party pressed on, Travis in the lead. It was the most excited that I’ve ever seen the wooden man, as though all his existential questions were about to be resolved. We followed a path to something like a mausoleum in a clearing at the center of the sacred grove. The carved stonework at the entry quickly gave way into a natural cave, but it was like no cave I’ve ever encountered.

The cave led into a large chamber where above-ground plant life flourished under some radiance emitted by the cave itself. Lush mosses coated the walls, and it wasn’t just the usual small underground plants but all manner of forbs, grasses, and vegetation carpeting the space. Simply fascinating.

A small stream also radiated light, and as we explored, we found a system of fountains. Several of the others touched and stepped into the glowing water, all appearing momentarily inebriated after the encounter. I was wary of it myself, avoiding contact with the fluid, which resisted containment and wouldn’t be controlled by Teal’s water magic – until Travis tried to cup some in his hands. The enchanted water only allowed itself to be contained by the wooden man. The softly radiant liquid seeped into the grain of his hands, pushing itself into the long-dormant xylem.

The elven women split off down another passage that looped back to the main cavern, while Travis examined a statue mounted in the center of a fountain with a fractal mosaic base. Val had fussed with nudging the statue about earlier, before losing interest and wandering off. Travis, however, examined and then approached the mechanism in stops and starts – something about proximity to the statue had an effect on him, making his crystal “heart” glow and pulsate – but he then quickly manipulated the statue into alignment. It moved downward, revealing a staircase.

I had been busy observing the unusual underground plant life, including strange mushrooms that moved of their own accord, sliding into little holes along the cave walls. We were also surrounded by luminescent flying creatures, about the size of my palm, which similarly shied from attention. But before I could get a closer look at these odd fungi, or sit quietly for long enough that the flying things might calm and come close enough to observe, the party was disappearing down the fountain staircase. I hurried to join them.