View source for Nayli (prime)/The Weaver's Window (log)

==Synopsis==
In winter 5125 a couple named [[Briselle]] and [[Fynric]] started handing out green-sheened fruit in [[Wehnimer's Landing]]. Black roots followed and spread through town, and by spring 5126, [[Alendrial DeArchon|the mayor]] had gone missing. When Briselle was exposed as the source, she fled. Later, in the month of Imaerasta, the oak tree in Landing's town square opened its eyes, [[moulis]] began hatching from people, and Briselle returned to summon everyone who had eaten her fruit into the waters of Darkstone Bay. The town lost many of its ordinary citizens, and the moulis are still killing.

[[Nayli (prime)|Nayli]]'s father is an empath who has been working himself ragged since the attacks, and her friend Kriggan, a [[Gnome|gnome]] baker, is the latest death she knows of. Luthain, a [[Nalfein]] [[Ranger|ranger]], has long believed that the [[Maaghara Tower]] at the heart of the [[Blighted Forest]] near [[Ta'Illistim]] is a probable source of whatever hit Landing. After scouting the forest in Imaerasta, they agreed to study what they could before investing the tower properly in Jastatos.

Inside, the tower is a hollow tree full of pulsing veins, strange lights, and ancient tapestries. Whatever is natural has been deliberately shaped and corrupted, but the order isn't clear to them. The tapestries depict a woman weaving at the foot of a black oak across many seasons, and they work out that they're a window into what the weaver is making right now, wondering if the tree is feeding from the living the way the moulis do. At the top, they find the Maaghara herself, an ancient being with a constantly-shifting appearance, tending an ancient machine of unknown purpose and origin. She answers their questions with riddles, not revealing what makes the monsters or what stops them.

Frustrated, they descend into the labyrinth beneath the tower and hunt moulis. Nayli keeps a sample of the remains to compare to those in Landing.

==Log==

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower''' <small>9727 (u13020060)</small><br>
After turning a diagonal leg southwest from the main platform, the porch ends at the foot of a monumental door set into the side of the tree.  The door is heavily carved, its surface a wealth of interlocking scenes.  Most depict views of a forest.  A single knob occupies the door's center.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious paths:''' northeast</small></blockquote>

You survey the area.

Speaking hushedly to Luthain, you murmur, "Tree is bigger than I remember. Stay close on path."

Luthain nods to you.

''(Nayli's hand tightens on the bastard sword as she watches the black canopy for movement.)''

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I think it's difficult to comprehend the sheer size of it, truly."

You glance up.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "You wanted to go in first."

''(Nayli's eyes follow the interlocking forest scenes carved into the door, one scene at a time, looking for any that repeat.)''

Speaking quietly to Luthain, you admit, "Door, it is beautiful, which I like less than a scary thing."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Entry''' <small>(13021001)</small><br>
The sides of the immense hall reach upward to a vaulted ceiling.  The smooth, natural surface of the wood is broken by veins of dark, twisting structures that run along the inside of the walls.  The lighting is surreal and shifts with each passing moment, coming in odd colors and intensities, seemingly from the walls themselves.  Two looming corridors gape to the northwest and northeast.<br>
<small>'''Obvious exits:''' northeast, northwest, out</small></blockquote>

You move over to Luthain and prepare to guard him from attack.

''(Luthain steps in behind you.)''

Luthain glances up.

Luthain says, "This is... not what I expected to see."

Luthain remarks, "The lighting is unnerving."

''(Nayli's eyes follow a vein of the twisting structures up the wall, checking whether it moves when the light shifts.)''

Speaking dryly to Luthain, you remark, "This is like.... cathedral that grow teeth."

You reach out and touch some dark twisting structures.

Luthain chuckles.

Luthain nods to you.

Luthain says, "I wonder what is feeding them."

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at some dark twisting structures.

Luthain asks, "There must be some kind of power source. Leyline maybe? Or something... constructed?"

Speaking grimly to Luthain, you opine, "Am nai sivrith, but.... magic must have source."

Luthain nods to you.

You frown at Luthain.

Luthain asks, "Mm. Let's look further?"

Speaking thoughtfully to Luthain, you ask, "Northwest or northeast? Neither is looking like friend to me?"

Luthain points northeast.

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Hall''' <small>9731 (u13021003)</small><br>
The ancient walls of the tree tower up out of sight into the gloom.  Sturdy, darkened wood forms the smooth floor of the great hall.  High above, flickering lights move erratically through the blackness in a bizarre aerial dance.  A steep spiral staircase circles the eastern wall upward to the north.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' southwest, west, up</small></blockquote>

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at an odd spiral staircase.

Luthain says, "The stairs, too."

You take a moment to observe everything you can about an odd spiral staircase.

<blockquote>The staircase flows seamlessly together without a single tool mark.  Each higher step grows without pause from the one below it.  Rhythmic flashes of light spark through the veins just beneath the surface of the wood, revealing quickly flowing fluids in their rush through the tubes.</blockquote>

Luthain asks, "What is this material?"

Luthain reaches out and touches an odd spiral staircase.

Speaking to Luthain, you muse, "Is... nai wood I know. Wood, it does nai have blood inside."

''(Nayli's eyes follow a pulse of light up the staircase veins, counting the rhythm under her breath.)''

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "Well, not blood, but it does have... its own sort."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Hall''' <small>9735 (u13021005)</small><br>
Warm mist drifts from tiny orifices across the roof of the landing, making the floors and walls bead with condensation.  Larger droplets gather on odd-looking protrusions and eventually fall to puddles on the floor with a soft *PLOP*.  A fog-shrouded corridor slopes up to the northwest, while to the east, a small alcove lies behind some hanging, root-like tendrils.  A steep spiral stair circles down to the east.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' east, northwest, down</small></blockquote>

Speaking to Luthain, you reason, "Same flash, same fluid. Tower is.... is nursery."

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "It may be."

Luthain glances around the room.

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Alcove''' <small>9736 (u13021004)</small><br>
Branching tendrils sprout out of the ceiling and grow downward, splitting into fine, thin fibers as they go.  Any movement of the tendrils--by touch or breeze--sets them softly ablaze with internal flashes of light.  The floor is covered with soft, damp detritus.  The cloying smell of compost and decay wafts upward from the floor.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' west</small></blockquote>

Luthain squints.

<blockquote>The tendrils grow out of the ceiling in various sizes from perhaps that of a halfling finger up to almost an inch in diameter.  In what seems to be random increments they split into several smaller tendrils until the ends are smaller than a fine hair.  Dim flashes of pulsating light move up and down the tendrils as they drift in the air or when they are moved.  A viscous oily fluid seeps out of tiny pores on the smaller tendrils and flows down to the tips, until it drips onto the detritus below.</blockquote>

Luthain sniffs at some tendrils.

Luthain says, "Don't touch that fluid."

You nod slowly at Luthain.

Luthain says, "It is decaying this area, I think, with the moisture."

Luthain ponders.

''(Nayli's sword tip parts the nearest tendrils a finger's width.)''

Speaking to Luthain, you note, "Floor is soft like compost heap. But worse."

Luthain nods to you.

Luthain says, "The moisture eats at it."

Luthain says, "Perhaps the oily substance, too."

Luthain says, "I don't want to get dripped on... let's continue."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Dark Stair''' <small>9738 (u13021009)</small><br>
The spiraling stair curves sharply, moving away from the wall and towards the center of the tree, ending above at a central landing.  Odd sighs and groans echo through the interior of the tree at irregular intervals.  The light from the walls casts disturbing shadows across the area, shadows that move one way for an instant then dart away in the opposite direction.  Under the stairwell, a narrow, dark passage leads off to the east.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' east, southwest, up</small></blockquote>

You mutter, "It smells like rot. Like wet leaves, left too long."

Luthain inclines his ear, listening intently.

Speaking to you, Luthain asks, "Do you hear that?"

You cock your head.

Speaking quietly to Luthain, you murmur, "Eya, I hear. Is under us, I think. Slow, like breathing."

Luthain nods to you.

Luthain says, "Well, at least we are moving up, then."

''(Nayli's grip on her mother's sword tightens, its tip held low and still.)''

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Landing''' <small>9739 (u13021006)</small><br>
This small, open landing is supported at the center of a complex nexus of structural growths attached to the walls.  Looking over the edge you can see down through the hollow tree to the levels below, but the fog and mist obscure most details.  Above, a steep staircase climbs to another landing overhead with twin spiral stairs stretching farther up the inside of the tree wall.  You also see some steps.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' down</small></blockquote>

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at some structural growths.

<blockquote>The growths radiate out from the nexus in a starburst pattern.  Ranging in size from slender, growing fibers all the way up to huge, woody branches as thick as a giantman, they form the internal structure of the tree.</blockquote>

Luthain remarks, "Mind your footing here."

''(Luthain steps across some of the structural growths, circling the landing.)''

You frown at some steps.

You glance up.

''(Nayli's eyes follow the thick branches outward from the nexus, counting which ones are scarred and which are smooth.)''

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "You were right to keep Aeslin behind, even if I feel as though I have a limb cut off."

Speaking simply to Luthain, you apologize, "Avo, mira iren."

Speaking curiously to Luthain, you ask, "Does starburst tell you anything, sela? Which way it grows?"

Luthain answers, "It doesn't feel like a natural growth pattern. I expect it was... encouraged."

Luthain says, "Or it was some kind of trauma response."

Luthain ponders.

Luthain says, "It's hard to say without seeing more."

Luthain shrugs at you.

You nod in agreement at Luthain.

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Landing''' <small>9740 (u13021011)</small><br>
This spacious landing serves as a junction for twin, spiraling stairs leading up and some steep steps leading down into the misty darkness below.  The walls facing the interior of the tree here are porous with small, irregular holes allowing glimpses of the hollow area outside.  The omnipresent veins run through the floor and stairs in all sizes and configurations.  You also see an eastward spiral staircase.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' none</small></blockquote>

Speaking thoughtfully to Luthain, you observe, "Scarred growths are on outside, smooth face hollow. Is pattern, I think, or - or I want it to be."

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "It is a pattern. Nature does grow in patterns, too, but..."

Luthain muses, "This one feels... purposeful."

''(Luthain leans in to peer through one of the holes.)''

You grunt.

''(Nayli's fingertips rest against the porous wall, her eyes following one vein down along the floor toward the stairs.)''

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Stair''' <small>9742 (u13021012)</small><br>
The stairs seem to stretch out for miles in either direction.  Below, they circle down into the mists and above they stretch out into the darkness.  Mist rises from below and forms small, dusky, cloud-like patches that drift across the interior of the tree.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' east, up</small></blockquote>

Speaking musingly to Luthain, you reply, "Mist is thicker below. Is only place it gathers, or whole tower breathes it out?"

''(Luthain pauses to lean forward and rub the tops of his thighs.)''

You rub Luthain tenderly.

Luthain laughs, "Too many stairs."

You smirk at Luthain.

Luthain says, "I do not run across continents like you."

Luthain gives you a lingering kiss on the cheek.

Interlocking his fingers above his head, Luthain stretches slowly, extending his spine in a satisfying stretch.

Speaking dryly to Luthain, you joke, "What would Aeslin say?"

Luthain laughs!

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "She would be unsurprised."

Luthain shakes his head.

Luthain says, "I can continue."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Stair''' <small>9743 (u13021018)</small><br>
Interior branch-like supports crisscross the tree trunk here.  Hundreds of bats fly through the air, or hang from the branches, squeaking and chittering loudly to themselves.  The distinct odor of bat guano rises from the branches below.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' northeast, down</small></blockquote>

Luthain says, "Ugh. Guano."

Luthain mutters, "It is a good thing she is not here. She would be trying to catch them out of the air."

You idly joke, "So this is where you get your cologne."

Luthain laughs!

You cover your nose tightly.  Phew!

Luthain says, "Ugh, don't make me laugh. I can taste it."

''(Nayli's gaze follows the bats overhead, counting how many hang still and how many fly, and which way the flyers turn.)''

Luthain glances west.

You comment, "Bats appear to be living. So whatever is in tower, it is nai minding them."

Luthain remarks, "It seems like more bats in that direction. And it does not smell pleasant."

Speaking to Luthain, you suggest, "Then we follow the bats. Where more bats are, there is something they like."

Luthain nods to you.

You nod once at Luthain.

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Stair''' <small>9746 (u13021021)</small><br>
A hemispherical landing juts out from the dark bole of the tree.  Soft twilight bathes the floor with a shimmery, ethereal glow that seems to come from every direction and no direction at once.  The polished, ebon wood gleams with reflections, yet upon closer inspection you realize that the images are of things not even present in the room.  Narrow passageways bear east and west, while the polished stairway leads up away from the wall to a platform at the center of the trunk.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' east, southeast, west, up</small></blockquote>

''(Nayli's free hand tests the nearest branch support while the sword stays ready in her right hand.)''

''(Luthain stares at the man-made landing, squinting at the planks, clearly distracted by them.)''

''(Nayli's boot scuffs the polished ebon floor and her eyes follow Luthain's to the reflections.)''

Speaking curiously to Luthain, you ask, "Do you see same thing I see, I wonder?"

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "Do you see them too?" He doesn't clarify further."

Luthain glances at you.

Luthain chuckles.

You force a grin and laugh nervously.

Speaking thoughtfully to Luthain, you observe, "I count three that have no source here."

Luthain says, "...I don't know, if we are seeing the same thing. I'm not sure I want to examine them too closely."

''(Luthain pulls his gaze away from the floor and settles it on you instead.)''

Luthain remarks, "There is a strange magic at work here."

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I want to travel higher."

''(Nayli leads the way, but slowly.)''

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Incline''' <small>9753 (u13021025)</small><br>
The outcropping of wood comprising the incline levels off at the foot of a large tapestry covering the wall.  It appears to be woven of silk, and the vibrant colors used in its panoramic composition glow in jewel-like tones in the hazy light.  To the southeast, the incline continues to follow the bend of the tree's inner walls as it rises into the giant's dizzy heights.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' southeast, down</small></blockquote>

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at a large silk tapestry.

<blockquote>Rendered in impossibly small stitches, the tapestry depicts a vast woodland surrounded by a range of mighty mountains on the far horizon.  In the center of the composition sits a large and beautiful tree, its boughs stretching far over any other tree in the surrounding forest.  The green of its leaves is a lovely shade.  At its feet, deer and other creatures more rare and fabulous graze and stroll in a serene attitude.  Suddenly, a detail that wasn't overtly obvious reveals itself.  Within the tree's canopy, curled about bole and bough, a drake is concealed, its wings closely furled to its body and its great eyes closed.

At the lower edge of the piece is the graceful figure of a woman.  The pair of giants she faces dwarf her, but since she is seen from the back, her expression is unknown.  However, her head is lifted and cocked slightly in a pose of wonder, and her arms are lifted at the elbow to either side of her body.</blockquote>

Luthain remarks, "A drake. That would... make sense."

''(Nayli's free hand stops short of the silk, fingers hovering above the tiny stitches of the drake's folded wings.)''

Speaking quietly to Luthain, you murmur, "Somebody wanted this seen only by those who look twice."

Luthain nods in agreement to you.

Luthain says, "Mm."

Speaking to Luthain, you ask, "Woman facing giants, you know who she is?"

You distractedly glance at Luthain.

Luthain remarks, "Not yet. Perhaps Maaghara."

You nod once.

Luthain says, "But... she could be an Arkati, though... ah, it's complicated between the Drakes and the Arkati, and their relation is... unclear."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Incline''' <small>9755 (u13021027)</small><br>
The walkway levels off, skirting a pair of wall hangings.  As it passes them, it widens, offering a much safer vantage point from which to examine the two artifacts.  On the left hangs a woven band, no wider than a palm, but so long that it stretches up out of sight in the gloom above.  Beside it hangs a large silk tapestry depicting a forest scene.  The incline narrows to either side of the wall hangings, spiraling both up and down the bole of the tree in a sinuous curve.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious paths:''' northeast, down</small></blockquote>

Luthain pants, trying to catch his breath.

You turn to face Luthain.

Luthain says, "Far too many stairs."

You raise an eyebrow in Luthain's direction.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I do not know how you run so far and for so long."

You give Luthain a gentle pat.

Luthain chuckles.

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at a long woven band.

<blockquote>The band is crudely woven, but the material it is made of is puzzling.  It has a sheen that is similar to silk, yet it is finer even than that valuable substance.  It is one color, a soft, dark shade of brown that is reminiscent of a deer's coat, though a distinctive pattern runs its length.  The pattern changes as it progresses, the transitions as seamless as if they had grown that way.  An aura surrounds the band, not seen but felt nevertheless, revealing the presence of some kind of magic within it.</blockquote>

You glance at a long woven band and rub your chin thoughtfully.

Luthain says, "Another hidden drake, though it seems to be waking now."

Luthain gazes at a large silk tapestry.

Speaking to Luthain, you muse, "Band is woven too fine for any loom I know."

<blockquote>The tapestry is woven of silk, and its execution is so expert, it almost seems alive.  A monumental nocturne scene is depicted in the vibrant tones of its weft and weave, showing a vast forest and a giant tree growing in the composition's center.  Below the tree, blue moonlight reveals a haphazard structure, made from stones, branches and sod, and its apparent inhabitant kneels before it, facing the dark form of the tree.  She looks impossibly small in contrast to the woodland goliath, and while she is only seen from the back, a rosy glow haloes her form, revealing the presence of a campfire before her.  Her arms are raised in some kind of rite of supplication, their arch a graceful pose.  And above her, its bulk as ominous and large as the figure is small and vulnerable, a drake is curled around the tree's bole.  The monster's body is so well concealed it could be mistaken for a part of the tree itself.  Wings as large as ship sails are tightly furled to the wyrm's body, and it appears not to have moved in the centuries that the oak grew up around it.  However, a golden gleam reveals one faceted eye to be open a mere slit.</blockquote>

Luthain says, "I suppose, if this did grow near a Drake, it may explain some things."

Luthain ponders.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I don't recognize the material at all. It'd be interesting to have an expert look at it, but I don't dare touch anything here."

Luthain reaches out and touches a large silk tapestry.

Speaking to Luthain, you remark, "Tree in picture, it has nai face, nai door. Is only tree, with thing inside it. Like this one."

Luthain nods to you.

Luthain says, "Let's see if there are more..."

Luthain says, "It's clearly telling us a story and it doesn't seem to be over."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Landing''' <small>9757 (u13021029)</small><br>
A tapestry covers the wooden wall of the tree at the landing, its breadth easily as wide as a barn.  As the walkway curves to the west, the spiraling incline passes beneath the arch of a graceful, hanging stair.  The construction floats in the haze as though it has no support, suspended as it is on silver threads as fine as sewing silk.  It stretches from the head of the incline higher above, connecting that with a platform attached to the top of the hollow bole.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' west, down</small></blockquote>

<blockquote>The tapestry reveals an autumn landscape, populated by a vast forest with a monumental tree at its center.  While the foliage is stitched in the vibrant red, gold, brown and rust colors known to the season, the huge oak that dominates its neighbors wears stark black foliage.  The resplendent tones all around the oak accentuate its startling contrast, drawing the eye to the composition's center.  At the foot of the tree, the small figure of a woman sits weaving.  Beside her is the smoking remains of a fire, its pit edged with a few rocks and a smattering of branches stacked nearby to feed the embers.  Behind the weaver sits a small sod structure with a bright carpet of leaves decorating its thatch roof.

As you study the tapestry, it almost seems that the woman's hands move over her primitive loom, pushing the shuttle back and forth through the warp and turning the cards that control the pattern.  Her hair hangs very long, stretching down her back and piling in a soft heap on the ground behind the three-legged stool on which she sits.</blockquote>

Speaking to you, Luthain asks, "It looks like it is moving, doesn't it?"

Speaking shrewdly to Luthain, you observe, "Her hair is pile on ground behind stool. Long, long years of sitting."

Luthain admits, "I didn't even notice that."

Speaking wryly to you, Luthain says, "Never ask me if I notice anything different about your hair."

Luthain leans softly against you, and you note the scent of a woodland melange of crushed pine needles and soil intermingling with the earthy scent of mushrooms and loam clinging to him.

You chuckle at Luthain.

Luthain asks, "Do you suppose these tapestries are intended to be hers or is it the band?"

Speaking thoughtfully to Luthain, you say, "Is moving, eya. Hands push shuttle and turn cards, like she is weaving still. Is nai picture, mira sela," she notes, lips set in a grim line, "is window."

Luthain glances inquiringly at you.

Speaking to you, Luthain asks, "A window?"

You nod slowly at Luthain.

Speaking patiently to Luthain, you explain, "Look at shuttle. It goes across, comes back. Thread is added each pass. Weaver is making something right now, and I think it is what is happening somewhere."

Speaking grimly to Luthain, you conclude, "Black oak in middle, bright leaves all around. Same as great oak in Landing square."

Luthain nods to you.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I do not know if this knowledge will help, but I'm glad we came here, then."

Luthain remarks, "I cannot find the drake in this tapestry."

Luthain squints.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "Let's look for more."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Landing''' <small>9759 (u13021031)</small><br>
The platform widens into something of a landing, offering a vantage point from which to view the suspended stairway overhead.  Each ebony step and its riser are connected to its own guide wires, which are so fine, they are almost invisible in the gloom.  A matched pair of arched handrails hangs over the collection of steps, supported independently of any other part of the construction.  On the wall of the landing, a tapestry covers the wood, its colors and workmanship every bit as amazing as the stair.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' southeast, down</small></blockquote>

Luthain says, "Winter..."

<blockquote>Winter sits on the landscape of the tapestry like a heavy mantle, influencing the light just as clouds dye everything beneath them with grey in the dead of the year.  The landscape presented is expansive, a vast panorama with forest and far horizon rendered with believable misty distance.  In the foreground, a small structure sits beneath a mantle of snow, its blank windows open and dark like the empty eyes of a skull.  Through the windows, beams of light are visible, intruding into the dwelling's interior through gaping holes in the snow and the thatch of the roof.

A figure sits before the dwelling, her slight form outlined by the dark trunk of a colossal tree.  An immense forest surrounds the duo, miles and miles of branches bare and spidery in the stitches' vocabulary.  The figure is a woman, her shoulders covered with snow as if she has not moved in weeks or even months.  She sits at a primitive loom.  Between the loom and the tree lies a tangled mantle, the narrow yield of the loom's magic.  And echoing that, the woman's hair hangs down her back in a river of dark silk, falling into a tangled heap behind her stool.

Even though all the surrounding trees are nude of foliage, black leaves cling to the boughs of the central oak like a cloak the tree has donned to escape the cold.  From a break in the canopy, a great drake has thrust its head out, eyes narrowed and its gaze directed at the small figure sitting beneath it.  Although the scene is silent and unmoving, it whispers the pause of a held breath, as though any moment the wyrm will move.  And through it all, the woman's hands continue to weave, to reach behind her and pull a long strand of hair, and to weave again.</blockquote>

Luthain says, "Bare except for black leaves..."

Luthain remarks, "And the drake returns."

Speaking perceptively to Luthain, you say, "Roof has holes, snow has fallen through, and windows are dark. Nobody lives in hut. Woman is still working, and... her hair is darker."

''(Luthain rests a hand on your back as he studies the tapestry.)''

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "Perhaps the fact she is weaving with her hair is why we could not identify some of the fabric."

You nod slowly at Luthain.

Luthain adds, "If the mythology presented here is true."

''(Nayli's steps carry her to the tapestry's edge, sword lowered, and she studies where the woman's hair meets the loom, then the tangled mantle beneath, comparing the dark strands to the dark thread.)''

Luthain gazes at you.

Speaking curiously to you, Luthain asks, "What do you see?"

Speaking to Luthain, you posit, "If woman is weaving with hair, then tapestry is nai made by her, then.... of her."

Luthain nods to you.

''(Nayli glances over her shoulder at Luthain.)''

Speaking gravely to Luthain, you suggest, "Moulis breed from flesh of men and mer. And woman weaving herself into cloth is... also taking from person. Maybe is nai showing what tree was, but what it does."

Luthain nods to you.

Luthain says, "Perhaps."

Luthain frowns.

Luthain glances up.

Luthain says, "We must nearly be at the top."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Landing''' <small>9761 (u13021033)</small><br>
The incline stops at the foot of a suspended bridge that traverses the abyss of empty air with delicate stairs made of polished ebony.  Each stair hangs on silver wire no greater in diameter than a hair, and the steps are inlaid with tiny pieces of colored wood that form a pattern of runes around the risers.  A tapestry hangs on the wall opposite the stair, its vast dimensions dwarfing the delicate construction of the stair.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' down</small></blockquote>

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at a large silk tapestry.

Speaking wearily to Luthain, you pant, "Even I am nai liking so many stairs."

You sniff.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "Still, your legs are better suited for it. I must climb more, I think."

''(Nayli deposits an idle kiss to Luthain's bicep before stepping a single pace ahead of him.)''

Luthain gives a sidelong glance at you.

Luthain smiles quietly to himself.

<blockquote>The final tapestry is larger than any of the others below it.  The season is spring, and the forest depicted seems alive -- so fine is the unknown artist's handwork.  On the horizon, a sliver of new moon rises, its foot bathed in the deep purple, indigo and gold of sunset.  The spectacular palette seems to tint each individual leaf within the vast wood, their forms young and vital and imminently alive.

In the foreground sits the crumbled ruin of a small hovel.  Only a few stones and piles of sod indicates that once a dwelling stood in that place.  Likewise, a small number of stones mark the remains of a long-cold fire pit with a broken stool lying to the side.

On the horizon, a small, dark shape can be seen, riding the thermals on graceful wings.  And in the center of the composition sits a massive tree, with a thick cover of leaves the color of darkness.</blockquote>

Speaking musingly to Luthain, you note, "Is sunset colors everywhere but tree. Light goes in, is nothing coming back."

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I know I keep using the word 'unsettling' but... I feel I should use it again here."

Luthain shakes his head.

Luthain remarks, "This tree is tainted."

''(Nayli's eyes follow the sod piles to the cold fire pit and the broken stool, then climb the thermals toward the small dark shape on the horizon.)''

You suddenly say, "Look."

You point at a large silk tapestry.

Luthain distractedly glances at a large silk tapestry.

Speaking quietly to Luthain, you speculate, "New moon is dark moon. See? Is little sliver, between dark and returning. Spring, it is nai end of story. It is beginning."

Luthain says, "Yes. Or it is a cycle of some sort."

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at a large silk tapestry.

You nod faintly at Luthain.

Luthain says, "I do not recall if there was a depiction of the moon on the first tapestry."

Luthain glances at some stairs.

Luthain remarks, "A bridge."

Luthain says, "And runes."

''(Luthain points at the runes on the risers.)''

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Observatory''' <small>9762 (u13021034)</small><br>
An expansive chamber stretches above the hanging platform serving as its base.  The ceiling is made of some sort of translucent material that more resembles air than a solid substance.  The sides of the tree dwindle into scrambled paths resembling veins tracing through the crystalline bubble.  Sunlight intrudes in great beams that shimmer on the strange, monumental construction, a machine that takes up most of the room within the sphere.  You also see some stairs.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' southeast, southwest</small></blockquote>

<blockquote>A huge contraption occupies the center of the observatory.  It is a machine, but it is also more, so complex and fantastic, it assumes a sort of living entity.  Gears spin, and arms balancing intricate constructions distend in all directions.  Meanwhile, overhead a translucent sphere watches over the thing as if it is a captivated audience.</blockquote>

Luthain blinks.

Luthain slowly says, "This... is not what I anticipated."

You furrow your brow, probably adding a wrinkle or two in the process.

Luthain asks, "Is this what is feeding the veins?"

You survey the area.

Luthain glances up.

''(Luthain points them out on the bubble-like material covering the area.)''

Speaking thoughtfully to Luthain, you observe, "It runs without hand. Observing? But what?"

Luthain shakes his head.

''(Nayli's attention follows Luthain's pointing fingers to one of the machine's long arms around its arc, counting how long it takes to return.)''

Luthain says, "The Blighted Forest."

Luthain asks, "But what does the machine do?"

Luthain squints at a strange vast machine.

Luthain pokes his finger at a strange vast machine.

''(Nayli swats at Luthain's hand.)''

You seriously advise, "Nai touch machine."

Luthain glances at you.

Luthain says, "Fine."

Luthain chuckles.

Luthain says, "Let's look at it from different angles..."

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Observatory''' <small>9765 (u13021037)</small><br>
At the tree's apex, the walls abruptly dwindle into a circulatory of twisting tendrils that supports a huge, transparent sphere.  Outside, the dark foliage of the tree can be seen cradling the bubble in its black embrace.  Most of the interior of the observatory is filled with a vast construction.  Its surfaces appear to be mostly made of metals -- copper, iron, and bronze.  However, some gears, globes and wires are also crafted of silver and gold, giving the thing a marvelous, exotic sparkle.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' southwest, northwest</small></blockquote>

Luthain glances around the room.

<blockquote>The machine towers over you in its vastness.  Uncountable gears and rods and chains wind in and out of it, while crystalline cylinders stand row on row, each sporting a unique color of contents.  A soft whir can be heard, as continuous as a heartbeat and as compelling.</blockquote>

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "I do not understand this."

You turn your ear toward a strange vast machine.  Sounds about like you expected.

You shrug helplessly.

Luthain shakes his head.

Speaking musingly to Luthain, you theorize, "Each cylinder has own color. I think each holds different... thing tree has drunk. Fruit, sap..." She does not supply a third. Let him fill in the blanks. "Is ledger, maybe. Or.... tank."

Speaking curiously to Luthain, you ask, "Whir is like heartbeat. Or drum. Does machine keep time for tree, or does tree keep time for machine?"

Luthain looks over at you and shakes his head.

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "It's unclear. I suspect both."

Luthain says, "Another cycle."

Luthain glances up.

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower, Observatory''' <small>9764 (u13021036)</small><br>
The catwalk encircling the lofty chamber seems dangerous, suspended on very thin wire supports attached to the transparent bubble overhead.  At the sphere's center, a colossal machine dominates everything, its gears, arms and pulleys so numerous, no self-evident logic can be determined by looking at them.  A flight of tenuous stairs, likewise suspended on thin wires, leads up to a higher vantage point.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' northeast, northwest</small></blockquote>

Luthain gazes thoughtfully at a strange vast machine.

Speaking earnestly to Luthain, you ask, "How long between cycles, I wonder?"

Luthain looks over at you and shakes his head.

<blockquote>Overhead, a multitude of rods and gears stretch like spindly arms to the far corners of the vast chamber.  On their extremities perch globes and other curious constructions.  A soft whine permeates the chamber, as different parts of the construction whir and grind into motion, then fall silent again.</blockquote>

Luthain says, "I don't know. I know so little about machines like this."

Luthain remarks, "The stairs may let us get a better view."

You agree with Luthain.

<blockquote>'''The Heavens Machine''' <small>9766 (u13021038)</small><br>
In the center of a translucent sphere sits a marvelous machine, huge beyond reckoning and more complex than the eye can take in.  Its complicated turns, twists and coils surround a narrow slab of rolaren at the precise heart of both the machine and the sphere.  A few dials can be seen on a dais beside the slab.  You also see some stairs and the Maaghara.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious exits:''' none</small></blockquote>

Luthain blinks.

''(Luthain lingers back cautiously at the top of the stairs.)''

Speaking guardedly to Luthain, you advise, "Stay at my back."

Luthain nods to you.

''[Note: The Maaghara's appearance changes every time you look at her.]''

<blockquote>The Maaghara is almost beyond description.  She is ancient, her multitude of years betrayed by heavy wrinkles and a shaggy mane of waist-long, wiry silver hair.  Her body is more a conglomeration of humps, bulges and twists than it is a stature in the classic definition of the word.  She wears a tunic made of some kind of skin, tanned to a light brown, and its entire surface is decked out in a complicated pattern of runes.  Her arms are long, hanging down at least to her knees (if you can call them that), and her rangy forearms end in large, expressive hands.  By far, the most curious thing about her are her eyes.  They never seem the same color, and what's more interesting, they seem to vary in number the longer one looks.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The Maaghara stands tall and straight, her bearing lofty.  She wears an aura of majesty as if she just donned a garment with that talent woven in its threads.  Her eyes are piercing shards of ice, as light blue as sunlight on newly fallen snow.

She seems to gaze at you, reading into your soul as if it is an open book.  And while she examines your face, you get an impression that she sees much more than you wish she did.

In the next instant, the crone has receded back into her normal guise, a shuffling old thing that has lived too long, and is the last of her kind.  She glances back at you as she dismisses you, the fleck of that ice-blue steel still lurking in a corner of her eye.  Nodding, she mutters something about the trickery of thought and loses interest in you completely.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The old creature known as the Maaghara stalks about, although she makes no sound and her steps seem motionless.  She is obviously very old, judging by the crisscross of lines marking her face and hands.  She has a shock of wiry grey hair that cascades over her shoulders and falls down in a sheet behind her.  All these details seem obvious, however when you try to focus on her features, they elude you.

The Maaghara glances over her shoulder and moves a short way distant, finding excuse in fiddling with something she has drawn out of the bulky tunic that clothes her.  She mutters as she moves around the area, mouthing words that seem to have no sequence or meaning other than to her.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The Maaghara seems restless, casting from side to side and muttering beneath her breath.  She is old beyond reckoning, judging from her features buried in folds of wrinkles and her shriveled body.  Despite that, she seems spry and moves gracefully, almost as though she is floating over the ground.  As she sees you rudely staring, she smiles a little, betraying gaps where teeth have been lost to the years.</blockquote>
----

''[Nayli and Luthain confer with the Maaghara, asking her about the moulis, the tree, and the blight.]''

The Maaghara frowns as she responds.<br>
The Maaghara says, "The tree and I look after one another.  It is a bastion against the disease and ruin that ravages the forest below.  While I remain, the tree prevails.  While the tree prevails, the forest stands.  While the forest stands, I remain."

The Maaghara takes on a somber expression as she speaks.<br>
The Maaghara says, "A variety of abominations make their home beneath the tower, likely with hopes of corrupting the forest's remaining strength.  The moulis, however, are the greatest threat.  Given the opportunity, they will spread to all parts of your land, using the very bodies you possess as both food and a means of travel."

The Maaghara frowns and says, "I shall someday tell your people of the evil that has robbed the forest of its majesty, but not today."

The Maaghara draws herself up and sternly admonishes, "My affairs are not subject to examination by the likes of you."

Speaking quietly to Luthain, you murmur, "She says she will nai say today. A person who says that knows exactly what she does nai say."

Luthain nods slightly to you.

<blockquote>The dais is a complicated construction, made of a tangle of wires.  It looks more like a sculpture than anything else, the graceful arc of its pedestal like the arch of a wave.  As it nears its top, it circles to form a flat plate.  And on this are a few knobs.  There is no incised schematic to explain their function, only the thin, crystalline forms waiting for a touch to move them forward.</blockquote>

<blockquote>The machine is a monstrous thing, possessing many arms, dials, winches and a few dozen 'eyes'.  Its function is mysterious, as vague as its methods and movements.  It seems to stare right at you, as if all the glass-covered dials are appraising you, silently demanding to know your business, here in the heart the machine's inner sanctum.</blockquote>

''(Nayli's eyes follow the coils inward to the rolaren slab, then out again to the dais, counting which dials are turned and which are not.)''

Luthain frowns.

Speaking to you, Luthain whispers aloud, "Cyclic, again."

You frustratedly complain, "Riddles and half-answers and glamors."

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "We can find out on our own."

Luthain glances at the Maaghara.

Speaking directly to the Maaghara, you ask, "Moulis hunt my town. You say abominations - what makes them, and what stops them?"

Speaking to you, Luthain remarks, "Let's go find them. Perhaps we can find a source on our own, since she is...unhelpful."

You glance at a thin dais and pace back and forth.

Speaking impatiently to Luthain, you urge, "Then we go. Is nai use to stand here and be fed riddles."

Luthain reaches over and gently rests his hand on your arm.

Luthain nods to you.

Luthain says, "...I expected her to be the source. She seems more a prisoner."

----

''[Nayli and Luthain investigate the labyrinth, searching for moulis.]''

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Labyrinth''' <small>9773 (u13022034)</small><br>
Intricate wrappings of rootlets twist and turn, growing larger as they mature in spiral patterns toward the Northwest.  The air becomes still as a single cricket breaks the silence.  Greenish moss clings to the earthen sides of every wall.<br>
<small>'''Obvious exits:''' south, west, northwest</small></blockquote>

Luthain nocks a barbed black-shafted arrow in his sephwir long bow.<br>
Luthain fires a barbed black-shafted arrow at a moulis!<br>
A moulis is buffeted by a burst of wind and pushed back!

Tightening your grip on your mithril bastard sword, you strike out at a moulis with all of your might!<br>
You feel your mithril bastard sword focus itself upon your foe, giving additional force to your strike!<br>
The moulis flails wildly for a moment before going still, its appendages dropping lifelessly to the ground.

''(Nayli crouches over what is left of the moulis and scoops a handful of the putrid compost into her hands.)''

Luthain glances at you.

Luthain asks, "...Should you be touching that?"

Speaking firmly to Luthain, you advise, "Watch creeper while I work. Is slow job, and it nai friendly."

Luthain nods to you.

''(Nayli turns the handful of compost over in her gloved palm, studying it before she speaks.)''

Luthain furrows his brow.

Speaking dryly to Luthain, you reply, "Is dead. Dead thing, it does nai bite. Is live thing nearby that worries me."

You briefly hear what sounds like quite the commotion.

Luthain inclines his ear, listening intently.

Luthain glances around the room.

Speaking wryly to Luthain, you deadpan, "Is good sample. Smells like Landing's last month."

''(Nayli wraps the sample up and tucks it away in her bag.)''

You nod once at Luthain.

Luthain nods.

<blockquote>'''Maaghara Tower''' <small>9729 (u13020061)</small><br>
After turning a diagonal leg southwest from the main platform, the porch ends at the foot of a monumental door set into the side of the tree.  The door is heavily carved, its surface a wealth of interlocking scenes.  Most depict views of a forest.  A single knob occupies the door's center.<br>
<small>'''Also here:''' Luthain<br>'''Obvious paths:''' northwest</small></blockquote>

Luthain reaches over and gently rests his hand on your arm.

Speaking to you, Luthain asks, "Are you okay after that?"

You glance at Luthain and slowly exhale.

You tiredly admit, "I am angry."

You dust off your hands.

Speaking curiously to Luthain, you ask, "Who should see this first, Illistim healers, or someone who knows rot and roots better?"

Luthain shakes his head.

Luthain says, "The arboretum, maybe. Vanathys or Feriae..."

Luthain shrugs.

You nod vaguely at Luthain.

Luthain says, "Let us head back to the city first."

Luthain says, "I am ready to be away from this place for now. It..."

Luthain shakes his head.

You wearily agree, "We go."

Speaking to you, Luthain says, "It's difficult to explain how it sounds and feels to me."

Luthain slowly empties his lungs.

Luthain just moved quietly northwest, with his group following closely.