Forest on Foot

You stand in the beautiful forest outside Alexandria. Birds are chirping, settling in for the evening. You can hear the occasional sound of critters as they make themselves comfortable in their beds and still others as they begin to wake up. The reason that you are here is not immediately apparent, nor was the urgent and somewhat confused message that sent you out into the woods very helpful in making things clearer. All it really said was that there was a disturbance in the woods. It was it seemed... headed right toward the druid's grove in a straight line toward Alexandria.

A disturbance in the woods? Sounds intriguing to Iskandar. And sounds like a chance to put his greatbow to good use - he's been reluctant to use it indoors or underground. Iskandar turns his head this way and that trying to orient himself, then finally gives up and looks at other party members to take the lead in rooting out this disturbance.

Vaalyun gathers at the appointed spot, "I wonder what's going on that the druids couldn't handle." He has his shield slung over his back, and the blue rose is freshly painted on his armor, which has been hammered back into shape - again. Still, the breastplate is looking a little worse for wear, but the man wearing it isn't, which is probably the point.

Urgent. Confused. That's why Smuldur is here. Urgent confusion is his specialty. Lit torch in one hand, scorched shield at the other, he looks around at the forest outside the city. Sniffs. Scratches at his waistcloth with the torchbutt.

Galidor hmms as he looks around, not totally at home in the woods. He looks around and nods to the others, "Greetings!" He says in a boisterous voice, "I am Galidor Goldenclaws, Sorcerer of the First Circle, Scion of the Great Gold Dragons, in service to the Silver Empress, the Destroyer of Smaller Demons, the trolls know me as Acid Splasher, the undead know me as the Disrupter, the plants known me as the Pruner, and the spiders know me as the Missiler."

Smuldur looks at everyone, in turn, remembering features. At the golden one, he grins toothily. "Troll burn good." The torch gets jabbed and pointed at Galidor before its waved around in gesticulation of good burning trolls.

Iskandar looks more and more pleased with every title Galidor adds for himself. Finally he replies, "Now that's the way to make an introduction! I'm Iskandar!" Glancing about he nods towards Vaalyun. "Perhaps they're opposed to harming things that are of nature. But if they send us and we just happen to destroy whatever troubles these woods, well, it works out for everyone! Right?"

"That's quite an introduction. I am Vaalyun, Hearthguard of Althea. Most people call me Vaalyun." A flash of a white smile from beneath the Cleric's dark beard, and then he looks over at Iskandar and nods, "Perhaps. People can usually be pretty certain when they contact the adventurers' guild that things will get broken, burned, rent, and destroyed in short order. It's a wonder anyone will write insurance around here anymore."

GAME: Erakirak rolls perception: (2)+11: 13
GAME: Vaalyun rolls perception: (12)+4: 16

"Burn! Rend! Destroy!" Smuldur likes the sounds of those so much he echoes them. He also likes the ideas behind them and starts running out into the woods. There's bound to be lots of things out there to do those things to!

GAME: Smuldur rolls perception: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Iskandar rolls perception: (15)+8: 23
GAME: Galidor rolls perception: (15)+2: 17

Galidor smiles at both Iskandar and Vaalyun, "It's nice to meet you both. I do my best to let those know who they are dealing with."

GAME: Smuldur rolls survival: (17)+6: 23
GAME: Vaalyun rolls survival: (6)+5: 11
GAME: Iskandar rolls survival: (18)+5: 23
GAME: Galidor rolls survival: (11)+2: 13
GAME: Smuldur rolls survival: (17)+6: 23

Galidor hmms as he looks around him, "Hey do you guys see that. The trees are moving out there." He holds up his claws ready to cast a spell at the trees if they start to move closer.

Iskandar knocks an arrow and draws his bow halfway. He begins to move towards Smuldur. "Those are no ordinary trees," he warns.

Smuldur's eyes go wide. He's never seen walking trees before. "Walking!" He agrees with Iskandar and picks up speed. Walking trees are harder to catch up to. Just to be safe, he tries to scurry up ahead of them, in their path, before stopping. "Where tree go?!"

Erakirak doesn't seem too concerned. The last time he interacted with treants, they were friendly enough. He keeps alert though, just in case.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+8: (2)+8: 10

The strange, warped looking trees pay no mind to Smuldur, not until he is standing directly in their way. Then the one in the lead swings a branch at him as though he is an annoying insect to be brushed away quickly.

GAME: Iskandar rolls 2d4+16+3: (2)+16+3: 21
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (3)+7: 10
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+7: (19)+7: 26
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(2): 6

Iskandar lowers his bow, unwilling to risk a stray shot hitting the Gobber. But instead he dashes closer, stopping when he s next to Smuldur. Just as he comes within reach he lashes out with a fist, using the last of the momentum from his approach to unleash a huge blow.

Erakirak is not exactly clear on why they're attacking the treants... but on the other hand, they were hired to fight _some_ threat, and the trees seem twisted, and nothing else seems handy, so he launches a couple of arrows at one. Maybe they aren't really treants. "If anyone has fire handy, that might work well," he suggests.

Galidor holds up his hands as he spots the others attacking the trees. He looks at them, "Uh do we know if these trees are evil or not. I'm all for smiting and burning evil, but the druids would be really upset if we burn these trees down and don't need to."

GAME: Galidor casts Mage Armor. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15

Galidor casts a spell of protection on himself just in case.

GAME: Smuldur RAGES!, gaining +2 to melee attack/damage/Will saves and 4 temporary HP

Vaalyun raises his shield, and then murmurs a prayer, the holy symbol on the shield and his cassock flaring to life. "May Althea guide us on the path of righteousness." Then, as he pulls out his mace, he says, "Do we know that they're the bad guys?" This went to 11 pretty quickly!

GAME: Smuldur rolls melee+2+1: (19)+5+2+1: 27
GAME: Smuldur rolls 1d2+4+1 fire: (2)+4+1 fire: 7

Erakirak shakes his head. "No, not really," he admits. This doesn't seem to slow him down too much.

"FIRE!" Someone said the magic word! Smuldur growls and smacks the tree with his torch. "BURN!" Also, it was rude of it to swat at him, so he's swatting back.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+8: (19)+8: 27
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11
GAME: Razen rolls 1d6+5: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Razen rolls 1d4: (4): 4

The lead tree creature screams wordlessly and flails at the two individuals in front of it. One of those hits lands - on Smuldur, and the poor berserker catches on fire himself as well as suffering a heavy blow from the angered tree. Meanwhile the other creatures mill around their leader, eventually walking around it. One of them is headed right toward Iskandar.

GAME: Iskandar rolls weapon4-2+1: (10)+9+-2+1: 18
GAME: Iskandar rolls 1d4+4+3+1+3: (1)+4+3+1+3: 12
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (3)+8: 11
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(8): 12

Iskandar flinches as the now-flaming tree hits Smuldur and sets the gobber on fire. "We've got to keep it from setting the woods alight!" he realizes. He hits the creature again. "...can anyone make water?!"

Erakirak is somewhat concerned about his own companions being on fire... that wasn't really what he had in mind... but doesn't worry about it too much as he plants another arrow in the burning tree, sending it crashing to the ground

Erakirak says, "Just the usual way."

GAME: Galidor casts Bungle. Caster Level: 3 DC: 15
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+3: (2)+3: 5

Galidor shakes his head as the others continue to attack the trees. "Hey if we stop attacking them perhaps they won't attack us and we can follow them." He looks to his companions to see if any of them are listening. He casts a spell on one of the trees to make it extremely hard to hit the next person.

GAME: Smuldur used a Alchemist's Fire.
GAME: Smuldur used a Alchemist's Fire.
GAME: Vaalyun rolls 3d6: (4): 4

What's the solution when on fire? More fire, of course! And a torch just isn't enough. Wood isn't flammable enough. Smuldur drops his burning stick and pulls out a big glass vial. Full of highly combustible material! He then breaks wind, which ignites, travels up his back and arm to linger around the vial in hand.

The flaming gobber on the flaming tree swings the flaming vial of flammables at the non-burning tree. Whooping in glee.

Erakirak begins to seriously wonder whether Smuldur failed a Will save somewhere along the line.

Vaalyun shakes his head, "What a lunatic! You know you're on fire, right!" He raises his mace and shield, slamming the former into the latter, and calls out, "Althea, we beg your aid!" A wave of positive healing energy flows forth from the blue rose symbol, providing some succor to the party - or the one of them that's on fire, at least.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+8: (15)+8: 23
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+8: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Razen rolls 1d6+5: (2)+5: 7
GAME: Razen rolls 1d4: (4): 4

The tree creature in front of Iskandar swings wildly, branches swaying so off course that it hits nothing but air both times. Meanwhile the one on the other side makes haste away from you all and toward the druidic grove…

GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (18)+8: 26
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(4): 8
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(6): 10

Iskandar is still struggling with the second tree. Out of the corner of his eye he notices the other moving towards the grove. He supposes that answers the question of whether they should have attacked - the whole reason he and the other adventurers are here is to prevent some unnamed menace from reaching the druid's sanctum. Iskandar braces himself and then breaks off from the creature, so that he can move to intercept the other. He suffers a blow for his trouble but it's not as bad as it could have been.

Erakirak heads towards Iskandar and the fleeing tree, figuring keeping it from reaching the grove is the task at hand. Two arrows pierce the trunk.

Galidor starts to move towards where the other trees are going, being careful not to get too close to them. He casts the same spell on the same tree as last time incase it goes after Iskandar or any one of his companions. "Come on I think we'll find answers in the Druid's grove."

GAME: Vaalyun casts Spiritual Weapon. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16
GAME: Vaalyun rolls 1d20+7: (17)+7: 24
GAME: Vaalyun rolls 1d8+2: (4)+2: 6

Vaalyun begins to pray again, and a bill of pure force appears in front of the tree that is charging towards the Grove. "I really hope we're killing what we're supposed to be killing." he says, and then makes a motion with his own weapon, causing the spiritual weapon to attack. The bill thrusts high and then drops for a low slash with the blade, connecting with the tree.

GAME: Smuldur rolls 1d2+1d6 fire+1d4 fire: (2)+(5 fire)+(3 fire): 10

The flaming gobber smashes its flaming bottle against the walking tree. Which makes even more fire! Some of it gets on Smuldur, but he doesn't seem to mind. In fact, he's laughing! "BURN BURN BURN!"

Nothing like the smell of Alchemical Fire in the morning. Except for sizzling gobber. That's worse.

Erakirak , who has recently started dating a gobber, begins to reconsider his life choices.

Iskandar is not quite able to get in front of the tree creature, as it is moving too quickly for that, so it keeps running, and now that there is no one in front of the other one... it too starts to move toward the druid grove with surprising swiftness for something on fire. It leaves a trail of fire that is beginning to spread in its wake.

GAME: Iskandar rolls weapon4+1: (9)+9+1: 19
GAME: Iskandar rolls 1d4+3+1+3: (2)+3+1+3: 9
GAME: Smuldur rolls melee+2+1+1: (10)+5+2+1+1: 19
GAME: Smuldur rolls 1d2+2+2+1d6 fire: (2)+2+2+(1 fire): 7
GAME: Iskandar rolls cmb: (17)+9: 26
GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+4: (7)+4: 11
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (6)+8: 14
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (5)+8: 13

Iskandar punches the tree as it moves away. Then he lurches after. Instead of striking again he bends over and hooks his bow around the thing's shins. Then he straightens up while pulling hard like he's pulling a set of oars. It's legs pulled out from under it, the monstrous tree tumbles to the ground

Erakirak attempts to shoot the tree Iskandar isn't tripping, but gets confused and shoots an actual tree instead.

Erakirak never claimed to be very smart.

Galidor figures that they have the rest of this handled as he heads towards the grove trying to get there before the trees do.

GAME: Vaalyun rolls 1d20+7: (15)+7: 22
GAME: Vaalyun rolls 1d8+2: (4)+2: 6

Vaalyun sees the one tree go down, and waves his mace, sending the force-bill towards the other tree. It stabs at the tree, striking wood with a dull *thonk!* sound.

GAME: Smuldur rolls ranged+1: (3)+6+1: 10

The trees are getting away! Smuldur chases after the one he set on fire (not that one, the other one). It gets tripped up, so he just grabs and lobs a vial of fire at the felled tree. There's still another one to catch, so Smuldur doesn't even try that hard. The vial shatters and bursts into flames.

Something's on fire. That's good enough for him.

The tree creature on the ground slithers, does a wiggle on the ground, and then lurches ponderously to its feet. Meanwhile the one on fire has nearly reached the druid's grove. It's within striking distance in fact. Several people watch it incoming with horror. It makes quite a spectacle on fire as it is in the dark. Leaving a trail of flames in it's wake. Several real trees have caught on fire now too. Thankfully they aren't burning as quickly.

GAME: Iskandar rolls weapon4+1: (12)+9+1: 22
GAME: Iskandar rolls 1d4+4+3+1+3: (3)+4+3+1+3: 14
GAME: Iskandar rolls weapon4+1-3: (6)+9+1+-3: 13
GAME: Iskandar spends ONE point of PANACHE.

Iskandar cracks the tree-monster again as it rises to its feet. "If only we had an axe!" he laments. Instead he chambers his fist, looking for the weakest point in the enemy's bark-covered hide to strike. Unfortunately his swing goes wide.

GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (19)+8: 27
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (20)+8: 28
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+8: (17)+8: 25
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(4): 8
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(1): 5
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(4): 8
GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(7): 11

Erakirak fires twice at one of the trees. The first arrow strikes it, but the second goes through a hole a woodpecker had previously drilled into the trees bark and pierces the tree's living heart, dropping it where it stands. Rak offers a brief thanksgiving to his nameless woodpecker cousin.

Galidor tries to hurry over towards the druid's grove. He lets them know who they are and what the situation is. "Is this normal for trees to be moving? They seem to becoming right towards you and well some of my companions got a little over enthusiastic about fighting. Certainly if these are evil trees we'll be happy to stop them...if not could you let us know?"

GAME: Vaalyun rolls 1d20+7: (12)+7: 19
GAME: Vaalyun rolls 1d8+2: (7)+2: 9

Vaalyun starts moving towards the grove and the remaining upright tree. As he does, the spiritual weapon he had summoned attacks again. THWAP! The bill of force strikes the tree, sending bark shavings flying.

The last tree creature stumbles - flaming - toward the druid's grove. Within sight now of that auspicious place.

GAME: Razen rolls 1d20+8: (18)+8: 26
GAME: Razen rolls 1d6+5: (6)+5: 11
GAME: Iskandar rolls ranged+1: (19)+9+1: 29
GAME: Iskandar rolls 1d8+3: (8)+3: 11
GAME: Erakirak rolls 1d20+9: (7)+9: 16

Iskandar rubs the sharpened metal on his glove against the bared skin on his other arm, leaving a bloody scrape. "By the power of the blood that binds us," he murmurs. Then he dashes after the Trollent, drawing an arrow as he goes. He weathers a stinging blow for his trouble. But he does manage to get ahead of the creature. Watching it approach. Lining up his shot. When he looses, the arrow sticks solidly into the central part of the creature.

GAME: Erakirak rolls 4+1d8: 4+(7): 11

Erakirak chases after the fleeing tree, his wings flapping, and launches an arrow into its trunk.

It turns out that with trees, it's not immediately clear when they've been killed. It's not like they bleed, after all. But when it topples over like it was hit with an axe, Rak gets the idea, and he squawks a squawk of triumph that completely fails to engage the whole forest-on-fire thing.

One thing that /is/ clear is that when trees fall they do not usually explode. This one however does. A loud POP sounds in the air followed by a concussive burst that leaves the tree a hunk of burning wood - burning blue flames. When you look back in surprise you realize that the other tree creatures are also burning the same strange blue flames.

Iskandar readies another arrow. He edges cautiously to the fallen tree-monster. Finally he looks at the others. "These blue flames aren't your doing," he says to Smuldur. "Something else must be at work here."

Smuldur had left the one to burn to try and chase down the one walking away. "Come back and -" Then Iskandar chases it down first. And it "BURN!" Just when he thought it couldn't get any better... there are EXPLOSIONS! He whirls around at the sound and scrambles back to investigating the exploded blue-burning wood. Blue is special!

"I've heard of fighting fire with fire," Rak muses, "but I don't think that's what they meant." Galidor is still trying to talk to the druids to get information from them if they were expecting the tree creatures and if they are supposed to be on fire.

It is clear from the druids that they were expecting the creatures, and that they are deeply upset by them... and by the fire. They send their own healing energy out to each of you, and summon water to quell the flames - though the blue flames do not die so easily and burn long after it should. "You see..." One of the druid's explains. "We heard from the plants, animals, and those that call the forest home that something unnatural was moving in it, that they were some kind of terrible twisted things, but we did not know what to expect. Can you describe them to us? We only briefly saw parts of the one that was on fire."

Erakirak joins Galidor and the Druids, listening attentively.

GAME: Galidor rolls knowledge/arcana: (10)+6: 16

Iskandar eyes his arrow stuck in the burning creature. He circles the pyre in one direction and then the other, seeing how close he can get without getting burned. He even reaches tentatively for the shaft, but then yanks his hand back when a lick of blue flame flickers his way. "I am going to run out of arrows at this rate," he says sadly.

Galidor listens to the druids as it becomes apparent that they were not expecting this and that perhaps this is why the adventurer's guild was contacted. "Well based on what I have seen it seems that some sort of magic has been affected the tree creatures. You said they were what exactly?" He asks curiously. "I take it from your reaction that this is not normal behavior for them. The magic that is affecting them is probably affecting their behavior. Someone or someone's has likely enchanted them."

"We think they were trolls... or something. Normally trolls just attack whatever they see, they lack goals. Yet others say that they looked like treants... But those are naturally peaceful. They would never attack our grove, or do the sorts of things that were reported that they were doing before we contacted the guild for help." The druid answering the question watches their breathern return, then gazes mournfully at the destruction left in the wake of this thing. "We have you to thank that they did not do /this/ to the grove."

"Who enchanted them?" Rak asks nobody in particular.

Iskandar heads towards the druids. "Of course," he nods. "We'd never let that happen. But I'm eager to know what exactly these things were..." he seems solemn for a moment. But just a moment, before he goes on enthusiastically. "When the story is retold, we must know what to call them!" Then he muses, "Death Trees? Dire Treants? Minions of Treevil?"

Galidor nods, "Well if they are magically enchanted perhaps I can follow the trail of where they came from." He casts a spell of detect magic, and his eyes glow a brilliant golden color as he starts to can around to where the troll/trees came from.

Erakirak shrugs. "If it's a matter of tracking them back to their starting point, that's easy. Might take a while, though." He starts looking for trail markers, figuring that shouldn't be hard for a creature that size.

GAME: Erakirak rolls survival: (10)+7: 17
GAME: Galidor rolls survival: (1)+2: 3 (EPIC FAIL)

Galidor points in the total opposite direction of Erakirak, "Oh they definitely went that way."

GAME: Galidor rolls spellcraft: (11)+6: 17

Erakirak starts following the tracks back to their source, leading away from the grove. Then he stops. "They just moved in a straight line. Might be faster to ignore the tracks and just move in that direction, see what we find.

"Find more fire!" There's pointing, and that's enough for Smuldur. He dashes off in the pointed direction, still trying to shake off water from him and his not-burning-again torch.

It's a long walk. The trail however is easy to follow and though it deviates around trees and such it is never for long. Eventually you find your way to a huge pond with a tree growing in the center of it. The tree is massive and the pool around the tree is... devoid of trees. Actually from what you can tell the trees around this pool uprooted themselves to get up and head toward the druidic grove. The pool itself is black and... sparkly.

Galidor ohs as he continues to look around as the magic spell helps him focus. He moves over to a glowing magical hot spot and he hmmms as he moves closer to it. "Interesting. Some sort of magical enchantment. Much like what you'd use if you wanted to enchant a weapon to make it magical." He says as he hurries to catch up with the rest of the group. He looks at the pool and casts detect magic again.

Galidor immediately drops the spell and he rubs his eyes as he turns away, "Well that was not a good idea, don't look at it with any sort of spell." He blinks a couple of times and shakes head, "That is mana in it's rawest most unformed form. I wonder what it's doing here. It might be what caused the troll/trees to change." He hmms, "Part of me wants to dive in...the other wants to just bury it."

Smuldur eyes the tree in the pool warily. "Not burning!" A deft observation, and a grumbling complaint. "Why?" He was almost dry, too... But he's never let discomfort get in the way of discovery! Smuldur wades into the pool to try to slosh/paddle his way to the three.

Erakirak pays relatively little attention to the pool itself, and starts looking for other tracks. "Someone had to come here to do the enchanting," he thinks out loud. "I mean, it's not like the pool did it all by itself, right?" He starts working his way around the perimeter.

Nothing strange happens to Smuldur, but as he approaches the tree, and Erakirak speaks up the tree in the center of the grove shakes. Then, it shifts. Then... It speaks. "Whooooo are yoooou?" The tree shakes again. "Come to poison /me/ now have you?"

Smuldur's eyes widen. "Walkin tree, now talkin tree!" He points his still damp and impotent torch-stick at the tree. "No. Not poison."

"We've come to find your poisoners!" Rak shouts, bluffing for all he's worth. "They must pay for what they've done!"

GAME: Erakirak rolls bluff: (3)+0: 3
GAME: Galidor rolls diplomacy: (16)+4: 20
GAME: Iskandar rolls diplomacy: (2)+7: 9

"Poison? POISON?" Iskandar looks aghast. "We would never use poison. There's no honor, no...no glory in poison! We're much more likely to use fire." He hesitates. Is it possible that could come across the wrong way?

"Fire! Fire! Fire!" Smuldur whoops and grins wide at Iskandar. He's got the right idea.

The treant peers down at them uncertainty and with clear disapproval. "My trees! My trees all fled due to the poison in my pool and now have you come to poison me as well! Just like that man who came months past while I slept." It shakes its leaves and seems ready to pull itself up by the roots, leaning forward menacingly. At least until Galidor speaks. Then it settles a bit. Heaves a heavy sigh. "Go back to the shore little ones, sit in safety from the poison around me and I will tell you my sad tale."

Slowly and ponderously the treant weaves a tale. It tells you of how it's trees told it of a man who came every so often to dump something into the water. Yet that something seemed harmless. It could have been water for all that the treant could tell. Until the water turned black. But even that did not seem to harm anything. Then the man stopped coming suddenly. Then the trees had risen up of their own will and walked away. Twisted and deaf to his calls they had walked away saying only that they would destroy Alexandria.

Erakirak nods. "This man is our enemy, as well," he explains. At least, he's pretty sure there haven't been two DIFFERENT people fashioning plants into threats to Alexandria.

Galidor takes out an empty flask and he goes to fill it up with the mana infused water. "Do you mind if I bring a sample back so that we might find a way to purify your pool so that it can be clean once more?" He looks over to Erakirak and tries to whisper, "I think that man might be dead, who knows how long it has been? I've heard tales that beings like this do not feel time as we do."

Iskandar says, "Dead? Only if he was slain by some other group of heroes." He rubs his bearded chin in thought. "I wonder -- which way did the man come from?" he asks the Treant, gesturing with his arm in a wide arc towards the east, south, and then west. "Did he come from, and return to, any particular direction from here?"

Smuldur wades back to sit on the bank and listen. While shaking more water ...stuff from himself again.

The treant sways and bobs. "Take your samples. He came from Alexandria, toward Alexandria. Always the same way." The poor treant shakes and makes a little mourning noise. "My poor trees."

Erakirak looks up at that question, startled. Given how much shoreline there is, and how slowly his search is going, he feels rather foolish for not having asked it himself, and works out the spot where the most efficient path from Alexandria would intersect the pond. He goes there and starts looking for any signs the poisoner might have left behind.

Galidor puts a stopper in the flask and he gives it a shake to make sure none can come out. He gets up and bows to the treant. "Thank you for telling us what happened here. We will endeavor to do our very best to see that this man never comes here again and we stop him from doing the same to other trees. When we have caught him I shall come back and help you plant more trees for you to watch over so that you will not be lonely."

There is no sign of a trail left by a man, but the treant bows toward Galidor. "Thank you, thank you." It shakes. "My trees, my trees." It seems sad, but also hopeful.

After a moment of mournful repetition the treant speaks up again. "There is one more thing. This man. The thing he used to pour poison in my pool. I saw it once, and it had a human letter on it. Z. Z. Z."

There's nothing more you can think to ask, so you leave the treant alone to mourn his loss... with the promise that someday it will not be alone any longer.

-End-