Blessing of the Deku Tree

The party ventures deeper into the Forest Temple and rescues the Great Deku Tree from an old rival.

5:30 AM, Day 3 – Forest Temple
After the fight, Marin returns to the front of the temple to keep watch with the villagers in their temporary campsite. The others travel through the newly opened branch of the tunnel, as the wall of roots seems to have receded. Azra finds a box of bombs buried in the mud, and Setnam runs for the light at the end.

He emerges in another grassy courtyard, where he notices a stump with an interesting carving near a wall covered in ivy and some sort of strange latticework. As he steps closer to examine it, the wall begins to move, ripping away the ivy that covered it and revealing that the lattice is actually a series of iron spikes that threaten to crush them. Thinking quickly, Set bashes open the indentation on the strange stump, grabbing a silver key. The party makes a hasty retreat up a stone staircase as the wall slowly encroaches.

In another stone room above the tunnel, the party finds a stone altar covered in offerings to the Deku Tree. Rocco swaps the orange in an ornate dish for one of his Hyoi pears. Sylph spots a crack in the wall and is directly addressed by the Deku Tree, who warns that a disciple of the Sage threatens him and offers a reward to the heroes who have come to save him. Rocco blows open the wall with a bomb, revealing a tangle of branches from the Deku Tree’s canopy.

Set tries to cross the branches and nearly falls to his death, so Sylph climbs into the branches to sneak past a pair of strange Ancient-tech drones on patrol. She finds a stone dais crowning the Deku Tree and sends a wooden gondola down the line for the others to ride up.

As they enter the dais, the Deku Tree prepares to reveal their reward, but a mysterious interloper leaps out of the foliage, causing the Deku Tree to quickly conceal the sacred chamber. The intruder is Kneill, who has seemingly been turned into a Skull Kid by the Lost Woods's dark power. He insists that the Deku Tree’s prize is meant for him, the true Hero of Time. Setnam immediately engages with Kneill, starting an intense swordfight. Kneill tries to cast a spell, but his blunder allows Set to deliver a fierce blow. Rocco strikes true, as well, so Kneill makes his retreat by performing an acrobatic backflip into the treetops. His untraceable voice vows revenge.

With Kneill gone, the leaves part once more to reveal the Deku Tree’s prize: one of its largest leaves, glowing with a magical energy. The Deku Tree imparts it to Sylph, the Hero of the Forest, but before the heroes can turn around and leave, they notice that one of the drones has followed them up to the dais. Sylph attempts to outmaneuver it in the air, but it cuts her pretty badly. Azra manages to leap up and catch it, then dismantles it with her bare fists.

The heroes return to the root cellar, where they eat their fill of vegetables. They bring some veggies back to the camp in front of the temple, where Dropp (and Locke) is keeping watch. They tell him what has happened to Kneill, much to his disappointment. Setnam sticks a carrot in the sleeping Jacques’ mouth, and they all decide to take a quick nap before venturing back into the temple.

Characters

 * Setnam Onalos
 * Rocco
 * Sylph Summend
 * Azra Garual
 * Kneill
 * Great Deku Tree

Minor Characters

 * Marin Zephros
 * Dropp Titra
 * Jacques
 * Locke