Campaign: “The Shrouded Vale”
Episode 15: Root Awakening
April 13, 2025
Without hesitation, Tavi Falconheart fires the first arrow—it finds its mark between the rootling’s eyes. A second follows in rapid succession, piercing through the chest before the body even drops.
Vines shriek and shrivel, slumping into lifeless coils. But it doesn’t die quietly—it explodes in a burst of tangled limbs and bone-thorns.
Tavi turns his attention to the second attacker, quickly firing another shot. He repeats the process, watching their remains dissolve into slithering vines that recoil back into the walls.
From the rooted figure, a ball of barbed tendrils launches forward—crackling with dark energy. It strikes Tavi in the ribs and bursts apart in a spray of thorny splinters.
He’s thrown back, rolling across the stone floor until he comes to a stop beside Borra.
His bow lies just out of reach. Pain radiates through his side. The poison burns cold in his veins.
It’s inside you now,
Borra warns, voice low. The corruption. It spreads. If it reaches your heart—
Borra's voice falters, unable to finish the thought.
Tavi grits his teeth, pushing himself upright. He can feel it already—weakness blooming in his limbs, sweat rising on his brow. He has to act fast.
Across the chamber, the ominous root-formed figure snarls, the entity's limb-like tendrils rising with intent. Magic crackles at its core—another strike already forming.
In the distance, a pale glow pulses from beyond the chamber walls. The basin. The thought of drinking from it coils in his gut like a curse. But the corruption inside him burns colder, deeper, with each ragged breath.
Closer—within arm’s reach—his bow still lies where it fell. The familiar curve promises action, but he knows the truth: it would take more than a single clean shot to silence what now stands before him.
Tavi leaps forward, seizing the bow and drawing it tight against his shoulder. The comfort of its grip steadies his breath, anchoring him in the chaos. Whatever comes next—he won’t face it unarmed.