Over the years and even centuries to come many would wonder what exactly happened to the Lost Woods. The malicious entity that controlled the Woods was no more, however the reality warping nature of the forest was still largely intact. Though it had shrunk quite a lot and without the entity in charge it would never grow as big as before. So the Lost Woods was still a navigational nightmare, perhaps more so, but it would never be the horrific charnel house it had once been.
Many speculated upon what happened, my favorite beening a novelist take on what might've happened. They wrote a moving tale about noble warrior and the escape experiment of a mad wizard. Alone and afraid the experiment, which was an amalgamation of treant and human, took root in the Lost Woods taking control of it. The experiment lashed out at everything killing thousands. The noble warrior stronger than any other strod into the woods traveling for months just to reach the heart of the woods. When the warrior finally arrived, and she spied on the true beauty of the woods, that she vowed to win the Woods hand in marriage. The Woods troubled by this noble stranger trying making them leave, but had no success. Finally after ten days the Woods told the warrior that she only wanted the wizards to pay for their crimes.
After a long adventure and much hardship the warrior had completed her task and returned to her love. Only to find the Woods under attack, finally forsaking her only race the warrior became less noble. Doing everything in her power to protect her love, she even sacrificed her own life. The Woods wept and wept even her magic couldn't bring the warrior back. Then despite all the odds, the warrior clung on and became a ghost. Staying with the experiment forever and they both lived happily ever after.
It's a nice story, and aside from gratuitous and frequent lesbian sex scenes it is also surprisingly accurate. Well more so than most theories about the Lost Woods. Nice stories and the like were the last things on our bug's mind.
In the past everything had been a trail for Stygian, facing down death at and beating all the odds. However this was almost easy, it's true that Stygian played a vital role, but still felt quick. Like no matter how Stygian had performed Tekanis would have succeeded. Truly not the case, but it didn't have the air of victory about it. Like when Stygian had fought Gwyn the psyling felt it had at least earned a victory. This dear friends was just a hollow victory, in the forest hollow.
It was unsatisfying, but it had taught Stygian an important lesson or two. Firstly that no amount for preparation and strength will deter a determined murder, and that arrogant manipulation does not make friends. Well that and killing a millenniums old mind wrapping reality bending power hungry thought monster whilst in the middle of her domain was a bad idea. Especially when said thought monster was keeping everything dangerous in check.The ring of dead foliage had begun fighting itself, all of the undergrowths trying to grow larger. What was worse, the nymph's had gone mad. Apparently the entity controlling the Woods had done some serious damage or something because this isn't how nymph's should act. At least according to the books Stygian had read, and well it seems obvious that nymph's shouldn't want to eat each other. So after the conflict that nobody had witnessed and the shattering of the crystalline mind core, our bug could only wait, and wait the deväk did. Hoping either Tekanis would come or the monster would settle down or maybe just move on to somewhere else. For now though Stygian enjoyed the spoils of war.
Congratulations for overcoming a mental struggle and pushing yourself to the limits magic level increased to level 14, and combat level increased to 19 Valus has reached level 3. Repulse has reached level 2. Telekinesis has reached level 3. Whirlpool has reached level 3. Physical conversion has reached level 2. Attributes increased; Per +6, Mnt +6, Wis +4, Int +4, and End +2. Though it was by your own hand that you almost died, you can use your double attribute bonus. Would you like to?
Without a second glance Stygian applied the bonus, it wouldn't be often that the psyling got so many points in one go. Twenty two for the struggle with the Woods doubled to forty four. Definitely a good deal. Moving on Stygian tried to call forth A Knight's Fork, but it wouldn't materialize. Frustrated the bug realized that the spear must not be done gestating.That was the worst part was that the ever curious bug, it couldn't inspect its newly upgraded spear. Shortly after the bug had cast tame A Knight's Fork had begun its gestation. The weapon was generating souls for the two halves of the spear, and was using the bug as a cocoon.
Hoping the spear wouldn't burst out of the bugs chest or something, the bug moved on. However there weren't any other prompts, and there wasn't much left to do. Everything in the garden had been cared for, Stygian had created a new species, and helped destroy a malicious genocidal maniac. It was all in a day's work.
It could have been a few days, but that was unlikely gluttony was still nearly full. Stygian decided to inspect the tree again, but there was nothing new. Plus no matter how small the piece, it refused to import. The psyling had a few ideas about the tree, but was reluctant to attempt them. The involved meld. The host-worms were plant-like now and might be able to meld with the tree. The idea was to use twigs so there would be multiple attempts. Then what though? If the bug had a success then it probably wouldn't be able to store it in the garden any longer. Then what if Stygian had no successes, the bug would lose all of its hard work and have to find new host-worms.
No it was a very bad idea to use, but the next idea wasn't any better. It might actually be worse. There was a perfectly good treant inside the garden that would be far more viable, than something merely plant-like. The downside was only one treant.
Well I could always take clippings of the treant too, but then I'd just have hybrid twigs... Wait I could rack up successes until I always succeed and then combine treant with the white tree. I couldn't store the treant anymore, but that should be fine it can carry us around. Like Vaelin's tree tower.
So Stygian set to work, completely obsessed with this train of thought. Despite the thought monster that controlled the Woods being slain, there was still ample energy around. So Stygian experimented, using incredibly small pieces and whirlpool when the bug got tired. Not wanting to let the progress Gluttony had made go to waste, Stygian occasionally top up its stomach. The treant Leon didn't seem to mind the pieces being cut off, and the regrew ridiculously fast.
Going at a more reasonable pace Stygian experimented for two days straight. Did I say reasonable? What I meant was drawn out. Stygian didn't push to the point of exhaustion, but was unwilling to stop. Apparently the reality bending tree didn't play well with other tree's, our deväk only had one success the first day. That night brought three more, and it began to snowball from there. Meld had gone up another level reaching level eight, but that wasn't the only good news.
Gluttony
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You have remained full for days. Impressive. You feel, full...100%
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Energy Dense has reached level 5. You feel, it all again... 0%
Despite the unhelpful description it was immediately obvious to the bug what was happening. Every effect of the last five levels was back and worse than ever. The bug was heavy, slow, unenergized, in agony, and it had to remain full the entire time. The seventh level was supposed to be worse, but right now Stygian couldn't imagine how. So Stygian shackled the sin for now and prepared for the final meld.
The tree may have only been the size of sapling, but that was still a good three times bigger than treant Leon. Stygian probably didn't need the whole tree, but might as well try.
Warning! The entity you are attempting to use this skill on has resisted. Destroy its will, or ask it's permission before trying again.
Well that figures, suppose that might've ended badly too. The treant might've become all tree.
So the bug got as many new clippings as possible, the white tree didn't like to be cut up. Plus if you didn't get the clipping on the first cut the notch would disappear to another part of the tree. Then the second snag came wouldn't all the little pieces count as their own subject and not as a whole? Yes they probably would, but then Stygian tried something it had never thought of before. It melded two white twigs together. Which apparently worked, forming one large connected twig.
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Huh. If it works with twigs, would it work with living tissue. Say if I got an arm chopped off? I should test that later. I could be an emergency healer.
With that Stygian Half-light melded a highly endangered species of tree, to a nympho who lives for wood. Sorry a nymph who lives inside of a treant, but same thing.
Congratulations, you have successfully created a new species. You cannot fail while attempting to make the species. A combination of common oak treant, with a seklaris has created this new species. Seklaris trees are rare appearing in places of strong spatial warping. They then warp space even more. These trees are considered to be highly endangered due to their low numbers and the fact that they don't pollinate. The fusion to the common oak has fixed that. Now with the nymph's permission, this new species could spread fast. Would you like to name this new species?
The treant was no longer brown with glowing green eyes and mouth. Instead the bark had gone white as snow, but where as the full seklaris was completely white the treant had some brown peaking through. The seklaris was deep untouched snow, while the treant was like a through dusting of snow. The eyes were now green and black ball of energy. The green looking like an iris and the black being the sclera. The mouth was a bit more radical. It used to be a small indent that made Leon look eternally surprised, now it was a jagged tear in the bark that concealed a hollow mouth. The seemed to serve no purpose, other than to make the treant look mad.
Unfortunately, Stygian wasn't aware of the treants status since it seemed that the nymph half took all the brains with it. The treant couldn't focus enough to send Stygian its status. Tame may have made the monster follow orders and be more docile, but that didn't mean you could make creatures perform above their mental capacity. If they lacked mentality they wouldn't be able to do it at all. Stygian tried to store the treant inside its garden, but no luck. It seemed that the treant at least had some of the reality warping powers of the seklaris, just not in a way that Stygian could test.
So accepting that sometimes it makes surprises better, Stygian decided to wait. Again. For the third time in a row. First the spear, then the monsters and Tekanis, and now this. Anymore and Stygian might lose patience, but it seemed luck was with the bug as it felt a familiar mind. At the very edge of the psylings expanded range Stygian recognized the mind of Tekanis, and called out to the warrior mage.
An hour later Tekanis managed to make it to the heart, the wizard was in rough shape. The hair that had been raven black was now gray almost white. The wizard himself looked as though he had aged fifty years in a day. However this did not stop Tekanis from thoroughly inspecting every inch of the heart chamber and white tree. Tekanis was worried that the Woods had escaped somehow. Near the end of the conflict the Woods had gotten to weak too maintain herself in the ether.
Stygian told Tekanis about the crystal and how the bug shattered it, going so far as to show the wizard the remains. Tekanis beamed at the bug pleased with just how far and how much the bug had done. Apparently Tekanis had been cursed by the Woods and probably would have died if it had been any stronger. Without the bug Tekanis might be dead, and if Stygian hadn't shattered the crystal, the Woods might have escaped judgment. So perhaps Stygian had just been selling itself short.
Another hour later Stygian and the treant were on their way back to Tekanis' house, where the others awaited. Tekanis had to make sure everything was dead, and he made sure to make the heart chamber. Tekanis wanted to study the white tree, and the treant, but that could wait, rewards first.
Vaelin had been the first to find Tekanis, and so she had been the first to get her reward. Vae had explained to Tekanis that for millenia pixies had been trying to understand how to become a higher Fae. There were many theories out there about how it was done, Vaelin believed it was accumulation of power and being intune with that power. She already was decently intune with her power, only requiring a bit more to achieve a horn. So she just needed power. Tekanis created a special weaving for Vae.
It wasn't designed to change her in anyway, Tekanis was worried about harming her. No instead he weaved together a plant that would store energy in it bulbs. It was small, wrapped around Vae's left arm and clung to her looking like ornamental dressings. One bulb was twice what she could hold herself, and there were five bulbs. Once she got her horn it should be enough to push her onwards.
It didn't take more than an hour or so, and then Tekanis set out to find either Leon or Stygian. Finding Leon first, Tekanis brought him back to Vae and set out looking for Stygian. Being a powerful wizard, it is easy to rely too much on yourself. If Tekanis had brought Leon with they could have followed the nymph's tether back to its body. However with enough trial and error eventually Tekanis found Stygian and the trio, or quartet, was back together.
As soon as Leon got close to his body, he was sucked in. Everything was still for a moment, but then Leon and the treant started screaming bloody murder. As a nymph Leon was bound to his tree, and whatever changes happened to the tree happened to the nymph. Though nobody in the group had known this, Stygian and Tekanis figure it out pretty quickly. Tekanis was the first one to act, casting some sort of dome over Leon.
"Stygian, as far as I know treants and nymph's don't feel pain. This is unexpected." His voice was calm, steady, and controlled, yet it felt forced to the bug's ear.
"Okay soo, what is this then?" Stygian asked psychically.
"If I had to guess, the changes you made to the treant were successful, but the thread is too much for their souls. The treant and the nymph are two parts of one soul. When I found Leon his soul was already broken and missing pieces. I broke it further and filled the gaps with energy and emotions. The thread is trying to establish a bond now that the pieces are back together, but Leon is too fragile still. This thread could- no this thread will destroy himif he isn't helped."
"So what doo we do?"
"It's what you have to do Stygian. Since you tamed Leon, you share a bond and with your psychic thread you'll be able to help Leon hold together. But only if you act now. Get in the dome it should amplify your magic abilities, while slowing the damage to Leon."
Well it was the bugs fault Leon was in this mess, so without a second thought Stygian got in the dome and made contact with Leon's mind.
Name Physical Modifiers Attributes Unique Statuses Leon Str: +22.4% Str: 37 Awoken Age Agi: +18.6% Agi: 34 Undead 16 years Dex: +20.8% Dex: 35 Split Soul Species Int: -20% Int: 15 Tamed Nymph-??? Wis: -20% Wis: 12 Per: +15.1% Per: 29 End: +12.6% End: 18 Con: +29.6% Con: 22 Vit: +30.2% Vit: 30
Abilities Unique Skills Skills/Spells Job Skills/Spells Possess Unstoppable Intangible: Level 3 Wither Chain: Level 3 Power Vacuum Undead Talent Withering Touch: Level 2 Plant-Shifting: Level 3 Nymph's Caress Magic Bolt: Level 6 Thrive Aspect: Level 2 Bottomless Pit Reduce to Ash: Level 2
Combat Level 13 Magic Level 14
Mourning Wood Level 4 Treant Level 2 Nymph Level 2 Devourer Level 6