 |
| A Dark Union |
proceed. Without Oberon's blessing we would find it difficult to exit the Forest of Avalon. However, it was Piknik's friend Axe-Face who offered us some guidance. For you see, it would seem that Axe-Face had secured for himself a position on the Council of Seasons, the very same Council Oberon had once belonged to, presiding over the season of Summer. Axe-Face was merely a page on the Council, acting as an assistant to Aester's White Stage, the keeper of Spring. Axe-Face asked us to accompany him to the Council's round table wherein they would shed more light on the situation. Using a strange spell, Axe-Face transported us to join the Council, wherein we heard their concerning tale: For it would seem that Titania and Puck, Oberon's Wife and fellow seat holder and his trusted page, had conspired against him. Titania had left him after his most recent affair, joining the Wild Huntsman (as we already knew) but Puck too had been bought, and had poisoned his king at the Huntsman's request. What's more though, Titania and the Huntsman were to be wed this very day, and thus the Huntsman would gain Oberon's seat on Avalon's throne as well as his seat on the Council, and all the powers and privileges therein. Obviously, the Council was uncomfortable with this, for the Wild Huntsman was a tyrant, and Puck and Titania had proven they could no longer be trusted either. However, because Summer was in full bloom, Titania was at the height of her power, and the rest of the Council was not, and therefore it would not be safe for them to act directly against her. Thus did they request for our group to alleviate the situation. We were charged with either convincing Titania and Puck to repent or to remove them by force, and do anything to ensure the Wild Huntsman's marriage be cancelled. Though they could not aid us directly, each Council member did grant us a unique boon to help infiltrate the ceremony: Sinter Klauss, keeper of Winter, gave us a potion of shrinking; Death, lord of Fall, lent us his Cloak of Invisibillity; and the Stag granted us a unique berry that could polymorph an individual, though we didn't know for how long.
Using these items to disguise ourselves, we were able to enter Oberon's stronghold, where a great festival was being held in honor of the impending royal wedding. We slipped amongst the crowd unnoticed at first, as Piknik used the Cloak to hide in plain sight, and Kolobok used the berry to transform into a unicorn, centaur... Thing. However, we quickly separated and became distracted by all the festivities offered. For example, Piknik managed to win a lapis lazuli skillet in a cooking contest (though he lost the Cloak in the process). Luckily, the other guests were too focused on the wedding to notice us, and we were able to further infiltrate the facility with ease. However, upon entering the first Hall of the castle, we fell upon Puck. As the Council requested, we tried to talk reason into Puck, but with no luck, and a fierce battle ensued. Puck proved a crafty and quick witted foe, using illusions to confuse us, but ultimately were proved the victors. However, this put us in an awkward position, for the Huntsman's guards soon came calling upon the traitorous page to prepare a speech for the wedding. While trying to avoid them, we found a potion of polymorph amongst Puck's belongings, as well as a mysterious page from the Huntsman's journal. In it, the Huntsman described his hazy memories, and the familiarity of Oberon's halls. Furthermore, it seems that he had become blood brothers with Puck, an act he did not quite understand himself, though he believed it felt right. Not sure what to make of this, we quickly made a plan, I myself would use the potion to take on Puck's visage, and I would give a speech discouraging the Huntsman to go through with the wedding. But Alas! I was tongue tied! For the life of me, I couldn't think of anything to say. Luckilly, Thumbelina came up with a satisfactory speech before hand, but our attempts at dissuading the Huntsman proved disastrous, and he sentenced Puck (aka me!) to a most dreadful fate: I would be bound in a deep dungeon, with a serpent and someone I cared for as my only companions. The serpent would be bound by magicks to drip poison in my eyes. However, my other companion would hold out a bowl to collect the poison, and I would learn to curse them when they inevitably turn to pour the poison out. (I know it sounds strange, but I can't help but think I've heard something like that before. Not in Gray Realm, but someone did this in another story, in another land. If only I could remember more...). Thankfully, my friends were able to save me, and I returned to my normal appearance. However, the Huntsman had divided us by this point. Half of us were trying to explain ourselves to him, the other half was busy saving me, and Piknik was off doing... I have no idea. When the group with me burst in on negotiations, the Huntsman was annoyed, but when Piknik crashed through the wall with a burst of flame, the Huntsman was furious. He proved a fierece warrior, skilled with the spear and with magicks, but we eventually were able to overcome him, though he escaped with the help of a magic mirror. Who was this strange man? And who does he remind me of...?
In any case, Titania was the only surviving member of this villainous trinity, and she refused to repent of her actions. However, she was also in no place to fight us, for Tom Thumb, worrying about Thumbelina, had led the Flower Drakes to our aid, scattering the remaining forces of the Huntsman and setting Oberon's kingdom back in order. Thus did we take Titania prisoner, placing her in the now empty Well at the Base of Irminsul, with guards provided by the Council of Seasons. However, there was but one more problem to solve: the Council had an empty seat. And so, because of her royal lineage and her actions that revived the Fire Lilly Tribe and the Flower Drakes, our own Thumbelina was elected the new keeper of Summer, and took Piknik as her Page. This greatly pleased Johan, who had been hoping only to secure Oberon's aid in our rebellion, and thus was pleasantly surprised to gain allainces with the Flower Drakes, the Fire Lillies, and the Council instead. And so, confident in our new allies, we made our way back to Stolzreich to make contact with our other allies, and make preparations for our battle with the Pale Queen...
No comments:
Post a Comment