Of Squirrels and Shrines
It was a particularly nice day at the very tail end of winter in the year 650 CE, when a loud screeching pierced the peaceful quietness. The source was obviously coming from Tolborolla, but so annoying was the noise that those who gathered to investigate were frantically scrambling all over the valley, unable for a time to quite pinpoint the avian cacophony. Even Hulleh Honeytongue was drawn away from tending his beehives to investigate the disturbance.
It was Fair Galaphyrae of Serenwilde, who was the first to discover the bluejay causing the racket. Alas, the bluejay was so surprised by her arrival that it flew away quickly, so much so that the tree branch they were both upon snapped, sending Galaphyrae falling! Curiously, the ground below happened to be right over a forgotten shrine, and she was sent plummeting to the deep cave shaft below.
Displaying comportment uncharacteristic to one who has just fallen through the ground, landed in a cave shaft, and found oneself in front of a long lost shrine, Galaphyrae brushed herself off and knocked politely on the door the the shrine, knocking loose the shrine’s key as she did so. By this time, several others had arrived and they collectively entered the shrine, discovering a small fae within after brief exploration.
Hazeline, the name by which the fae introduced herself, was overjoyed by the arrival, for she had been alone in the shrine since just before the Taint Wars, as she was quick to explain. She asked those present if they wished to gather nuts for the shrine’s silo, this being the purpose of the shrine, and offered some of the shrine’s scrolls in return for the work. Fair Galaphyrae and Spirit Warden Xenthos An’Ryshe of Glomdoring set to work very shortly to gather nuts, with Huskii Myeras of Serenwilde following sometime after, while those remaining engaged in further discussion with and the comforting of the little hazelnut fae, alone for so long.
After some time, Galaphyrae was the first to gather enough nuts to be given a scroll, with Xenthos following soon thereafter. Not content with the singular scroll, Galaphyrae continued gathering nuts in an effort to collect all ten scrolls the shrine had to offer. It would be Kalas Zagreus of Magnagora, however, who would be the first to earn all ten scrolls and with it, Great Spirit Squirrel’s blessing for his diligence.
As revealed to those who read the scrolls, the shrine continues once more in its purpose of gathering up a portion of the nuts which the bountiful squirrels of the Basin of Life have foraged, as is in accordance with the Precepts of Adept Chajoli. A stone marker invites into the underground shrine dedicated to the Great Spirit Squirrel once more and within Hazeline awaits. Those with an empathetic heart may wish to bring along a honeycake to give to her, as Xiran Stormcrow of Serenwilde did, to give the little fae a delicious reminder of her home.
