The Hunt for the Anuran Bane and the Opal Serpent

Does your character investigate the strange sound, or do they admire the tree?

The light looped back round, sending her back into the forest she had just left but, this time, on the other side of the river. In the night, the Sunless Jungle was not a place one wanted to be. It was blindingly dark and the foliage was so thick, there were many routes that became dead ends. If you were to enter here, you better have a plan or be lost forever and claimed by Death himself. Roe had no plan but the light guided her through the weaving pathways. First left and then right, up a little hill and through the tiny gaps in between the trunks of the trees. The light began to slow, signalling the nearing of their destination. Here, branches had been snapped in aggression. The ground had been churned by many footsteps - too many to count and track singularly. Nearby flora had been trampled and squished beyond recognition. It was a sad sight to see and one Roe had stopped to correct if she had had the time. However, she felt a sense of urgency to continue following her little flame, not wanting to lose the answers to her questions.

The light pushed through the final curtain. Roe burst into the clearing, looking around. With its job done, the guiding light blinked out of existence, plunging her back into darkness. The glowing moon above offered a little comfort through the tiny gaps in the canopy above. Squinting, she could make out the rough structures of more ruins, abandoned and reclaimed by the wilderness. They looked more primitive than the previous ruins - perhaps this was an old settlement of the original wild clans, forgotten by time itself. The air here was different to what she had been experiencing. Gone was the dreadful scent of illness and disease and, in its place, was a soft fruity smell that radiated all around. It captured her senses and soothed her tender nerves, luring her into a soft security blanket of safety. Among the ruins, a deep, rumbling snore erupted occasionally. Who was that? A sleeping mage who had come to check out the rumours like herself? A wild animal getting in a few winks whilst the night was still and calm? It was tempting to go and find out but there was something in her gut that stopped her from moving immediately? What if it was only pretending to be asleep? This could be the one that conjured the mystery flame that led her here. Even worse, it could be the one that poisoned the water source! Hasty moves would only lead to consequences she wasn't prepared to face just yet. A plan of action was needed.

Instead of speeding off to investigate the snoozing creature, Roe took a look around. There would be a reason as to why she'd been brought here and the camp must hold the clues. Just to the edge of the encampment, sat a beautifully old and wise tree. It was far larger than any of the others, its trunk as thick as a house. Every branch was perfectly placed and groomed. There were no sagging leaves or cracked bark. This was the tree that started this jungle; it was clear to see! The blossoms it played host too had begun to shred their petals and they cascaded down the floor, gently swaying back and forth on the breeze. They glittered in the dancing moonlight, extruding beauty. It drew her in, Roe's eyes wide with attention to the many details. Wow, what a tree. Roe had never seen anything like it before. She just had to take it in.