"It has been here as long as the moon has hung in the night sky. Family I have none, but friends, perhaps, certainly neighbors."
"Living inside the tree? Is there a community in there, or just your home?"
"There are many communities, a community of birds, for example, which is certainly not my community. A community of squirrels, which I believe is at war with the birds, and others as well."
Turpes nods. "Are there more like you? Are there any like me?"
The head turns sideways, like they are considering the question "I suppose."
"How do you feel about visitors? Is it even possible for anyone to get in?
"Of course it's possible, just climb the trunk" The head begins shaking with its eyes closed, as if the answer were obvious.
"So is it ok if I come up?" Assuming there is no objections, Turpes goes to get out of the boat, he makes as if to leap across the water, but he is actually trying to use magic to assist himself in getting across the water and up the tree.
"I don't know, I'm not going to stop you. Why do you want to come up here anyways?"
Turpes answers before he starts his trip. "Curiosity. I've never seen a tree like this before."
He almost fails badly, but manages to pull off his spell, so slowly makes his way across the waves and up the tree.
The face looks down "Huh, most people just put a rope around the tree and pull up, neat trick if you can do it." When you get up to the hole the face is peering out of it withdraws and says "Well, you might as well come in. Don't suppose you are interested in buying some silk, it has the strength ad protection of steel, but is practically weightless."
Turpes nods vigorously, but doesn't speak, his concentration on climbing. Once he manages to climb upward to the first branch, he rests in the elbow of the branch and says, "Yes, actually, I would be interested in your silk. What sorts of things are you looking for in exchange?"
"The golden apples of course, they are further up the tree. I'd get them myself, but its such a hassle, and takes me from my spinning." As the head withdraws you see the attached body- it looks like a caterpillar, only 3 feet long and with a human head.
Having rested, Turpes will send the grog back to fetch him a backpack, unless he already has one. If his branch is too high to reach, he'll ask the grog to throw it and use a ReHe (presuming hemp pack) to pull it to him as if it was a perfect throw, shouting, "I got it!" to allow his voice to carry the magic.
He will then re-cast his other spell and resume climbing the tree.
[rolls on Discord]
He will need to roll the ReHe.
Catching the pack, Turpes straps it on, and resumes climbing the tree, with magical assistance.
[Did roll a while ago, but got buried. Flagged it for search now. ReHe 3 Voice +2/Mom/Ind lvl 5 spell so roll of 19 succeeds.
Roll above that is for re-casting the ReCo to climb]
Turpes follows the caterpillar person into the trunk, and into a room which appears to be larger than the trunk it is supposed to be inside. "I need the golden apples to weave the silk, but as I said, it is a hassle to bet them myself, especially with the soldiers guarding the orchard. If you are willing to get them for me, I will provide you a length of the silk. I can give you four yards per apple."
Turpes nods. "Alright, that's probably fine. Where is the orchard?"
The Caterpillar leads you through the house, which you have to stoop to go through, to a back door which leads to a staircase headed upwards. On the way through they explain " Head up these stairs and you will come to the tourney, hopefully there won't be a battle going on at the tourney, because you need to go across to the hill on the far side, and go up that to the town. In the town there are two sets of soldiers, the red knights and the silver knights. Both of them protect the garden, and try to raid the garden, and try to keep each other out. I don't know why, but they try to keep out anyone who isn't the same kind of knight that they are. The garden is a walled garden, I've never seen a door to it, or heard of one, but if you get inside make sure you don't take the last apple from any of the trees, or the tree won't survive. Once you have the apples head back here and I can trade you, give you silk for the apples. "
Turpes listens carefully, nodding. "Thank you. I'll see you later." He makes his way up the stairs, pausing for a moment halfway to cast a spell, making him appear a little more noble than he had.
He follows the caterpillar's directions to the town, where he will wander and look around.
[spell roll on Discord, Aura of Ennobled Presence.]