Re: Newcomers to Oak Glen

[Nara-pyon]

"Thanks!" Aeris chirped right back, equally cheery.

"Thank ye," Zoltan grunted, hopping off the stool and heading towards the door. As he passed Aeris, he tugged on her robes, encouraging her to follow.

Which she did.

[Kara Winters]

The Lord Protector's office was on the top floor and had a bay window overlooking Oak Glen. The man himself was a half-elf by the name of Asim. His long blond hair was kept in a half ponytail, which kept it well out of his face, except for the single tiny braid on the right side of his face that was kept together by a tiny dwarven clasp. Asim wore simple leathers and clothes that were as green as the forest the town was surrounded by.

His office was kept pretty sparse with only a desk, a chair and a couch with a blanket draped over it. There was a small bookshelf full of books, and his sword and bow was leaned against it. Which suited the severe Lord Protector just fine, he didn't need a fancy office to do his work.

"What can I do you for?" the man asked when the group appeared in his office.

[Nara-pyon]

"Good morning!" Aeris greeted the man cheerfully. "My name is Aeris Frosthorn! These are Zoltan and Reed. We've-"

She was cut off by Zoltan, who gently nudged her with his elbow as he pulled the paper with the request out of his bag.

"We come from the Adventurer's Guild, ser, and we've accepted a request te help with some patrollin'," he explained. "We were told te come talk te ye before we leave."

[Kara Winters]

Asim picked up the paper and looked it over. He remembered, he tended to put in this request weekly and whoever was present would pick it up. Usually it was regulars, but these folks looked like they were new.

"New to town?" he asked looking up from the request paper.

"Yup, just arrived yesterday," Reed explained.

"Ah..." Asim nodded as he put down the paper, "Because I put patrolling out regularly normally the guild just takes the request and submits it to me later, but for newcomers it's best to get a briefing first."

"Any reason in particular?"

The bard was confused by this requirement, they were just patrolling the forest after all. But the grimace look on Asim's face said otherwise.

"Oak Glen, is named for the oak forest that surrounds it, the trees here have always grown tall and large, and being here has kept the town protected from many things," Asim explained, "However, everywhere this forest touches, the area has a lot of saturated arcane magic. It is seeped into the very ground where the roots grow, as a result it tends to attract some creatures, some creatures gain size and abilities they didn't before, or suddenly come into being. So, really when we say, patrol, if you run across any aggressive and potentially dangerous creatures, it's best to get rid of them before their population grows. Keeping the population low ensures they don't get onto the travel roads leading into the town, it also means that unless you're prepared, it's unwise to travel off the road."

"Which is also the reason why you put in a request to wipe out a nest," Reed commented.

"Yes, Striges are not powerful, but they can be dangerous in swarms."

[Nara-pyon]

For once, Aeris remained silent, simply listening and then digesting what she had heard. She had heard about arcane powers beyond control, but this was her first experience with it.

"An' do ye have a map of t'e area we're te patrol?" Zoltan asked. "As we're new te t'e area, a map would be very helpful."

[Kara Winters]

"Unfortunately because there are only three landmarks in the area, it's very difficult to map out a forest," Asim replied, "However, I do have a rough map of the area."

He went over to his bookshelf, which had a shelf full of what looked like scroll containers. Brushing his fingers over them, his fingers carefully passed each container until he grabbed one and pulled it out. Opening the container was a map of relatively decent quality paper. Bringing it over to the group he handed it to Zoltan.

"Keep it, I always have soldiers and adventurers who need a map of the area, so I have copies, which is why this one isn't the highest quality but it will do."

The map showed Oak Glen, and in fact had enough detail to show roughly where all the homes and businesses were. It even to a degree marked out the guilds and Lord Protector's home as they were the largest buildings in the town. Actually, from above it looked less like a town and more like a small city. There were three other landmarks besides Oak Glen. The large lake to the north which ran off the map called Tranquility Lake, a very large tree that was purposely drawn called the Peace Tree, and a mound on the east side of the town called Root Cave.

"Tranquility Lake and the Peace Tree tends to be creature free as it's the sacred grounds of Eldath, The Quiet One. I would recommend not going far into Root Cave, it's not on the patrol route anyways, but I know people get curious about it. There's some dangerous creatures that live further down in there."

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan had seen a good number of maps in his time, and he was quite satisfied with this one.

"Perhaps in the future," he grinned, eyeing the Root Cave. He looked from the map to the Lord Protector again. "An' the patrol route?"

It wasn't marked on the map.

[Kara Winters]

"Only half of the outside," Asim went over to his own map which was pinned to his wall.

His map was made out of parchment and of high quality, which was good because he had other pins in it making different things.

"If you leave by the South Gate," he pointed to it, "And then make your way west until you're about here, a good ways away from the road, then head up north to the lake. You'll eventually hit the West Road and then go past it. Once you hit the lake, go east until you hit the road and then you head back into town. Since it's your first patrol, I wouldn't ask that you do a full lap of the wall."

[Nara-pyon]

"Thank ye," Zoltan nodded, memorizing the route on the map. "An' is there anethin' else we migh' need te know?"

Aeris was fidgeting now, eager to get started, but wanting also to be mature. She didn't have any questions of her own, but she didn't have any experience to know what kind of questions to ask either. So she resolved to remain silent and simply listen.

[Kara Winters]

"There's a Strige nest out there on the west side, so be careful. You're clearly a veteran at going out, but I do feel it needs to be said, unless you think it's serious and I need to know, whatever you find out there is yours to keep," Asim replied.

It was an unspoken rule, in a world where every little bit helps and adventurers made their fortunes off of not just payment, but fame and treasure, it was well known under certain circumstances it was fine to keep things that one had found while out in the field.

[Nara-pyon]

"Thank ye again," Zoltan nodded, folding the map carefully and putting it into his bag.

No one else had any questions, so the group headed out. They made their way to the South Gate, where they were to begin their patrol.

It was here that Aeris became excited once again. "We're actually beginning!" she exclaimed, almost bouncing as they left the town gate. "An actual job - what do you think might happen? What do you think we might find?"

"Nothin', if ye alert ev're'thin' in hearin' distance that we're comin'," Zoltan told her in his growly voice.

[Kara Winters]

Reed chuckled at that, "Not necessarily a bad thing. Don't get me wrong, I would like an adventure as much as the next person, but I also would like to not run into too much trouble."

Which was a weird oxymoron since adventurers always got into trouble and on occasion got into more trouble than they realized.

"Though I guess we might find something weird, since this place is supposed to be full of arcane magic. I wonder if that's why the town exists..."

[Nara-pyon]

"To help to protect against the arcane magic of the area?" Aeris asked curiously. "To make sure that it doesn't go unchecked, and spread to other areas?"

She looked around as they walked, watching for anything unusual - though, not being from a forest herself, she wasn't exactly sure what that would be.

Zoltan was also looking around, and had a bit more experience and knowledge than Aeris; suddenly he became aware of four small shrub-looking things that were about 30 feet back from the group. For a second, he thought they were just plants; but then they moved, and he realized what they were.

"Twig blights," he growled, pulling out his javelin, judging it to be the best weapon to begin with due to the distance.

[Kara Winters]

To be fair to Reed and Aeris who had missed the Twig Blights completely, they were well hidden among the large oak trees and the overgrown shrubbery that was around them. Seeing that they had been spotted, the small Twig Blights ran towards the party as fast as their little stubby legs could take them, which wasn't very far.

Reed didn't move from his spot, instead he put his hand on his rapier, pointed to the slowest of the bunch who was trying to keep up with his fellows and shouted, his voice full of magic.

"You're not even decent enough to call yourself a twig! Perhaps kindling would be a better term!"

The Twig Blight in question recoiled as if it had been struck.

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan dropped his javelin, since the Twig Blights had come so much closer, and pulled his hand axes. Aiming, he threw them at the two nearest twigs.

The first axe hit the nearest Twig Blight with so much force that it almost went through it, and the creature fell to the ground, dead. The second hit its target as well, but while the axe struck it and stuck in its head, it was somehow still moving.

Aeris braced herself. She swirled her hands in front of her, muttering an incantation, and then thrust her hands forward. In the center of the group of Twigs, a Bonfire appeared, burning hot. The Twig that had not yet taken any damage burst into flame and fell, lifeless, to the ground.

[Kara Winters]

The other Twig Blights scrambled out of the way as fast as their feet could take them away from the bonfire.

Reed pulled out his rapier and rushed towards the creature he had used Vicious Mockery on and stabbed it right through the face. The creature, stopped moving and fell limp once Reed pulled out his sword from it's body. He was relieved, they might get out of this in one piece.

The final Twig Blight, the one with a handaxe still in it's head ran over to Zoltan and clawed at him. Leaving a gash in his chest from where the creature reached up to strike back.

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan reached down and picked up the Twig Blight. He held it close to his face and let out a wild roar, almost a scream, and then, gripping it with both hands, ripped it in half, top to bottom, before throwing it to the ground.

In the sudden quiet, only Zoltan's heavy breathing could be heard. It was a few seconds before anyone moved.

"That's goin' te leave a mark," he sighed, wiping at it with the back of his hand. "An' meh shirt'll need mendin'."

"Oh, I can take care of that!" Aeris said brightly, rushing over to him. She gripped her staff with one hand, made a quick sign with her other hand, murmuring another incantation. An an instant, the tear in Zoltan's shirt came together as if nothing had ever happened to it in the first place.

"There," she smiled, glad to have been helpful. Then she used her Prestidigitation to extinguish the bonfire that she had created.

[Kara Winters]

"You know, in hindsight," Reed commented nudging one of the bodies of the twigs that was on the ground, "It makes sense for a place full of arcane magic to have a few walking scrubs around."

Also the forest was a perfect place for them, still it was kind of creepy to see such beings. Putting his rapier away, he joined the others.

"Shall we continue then?"

Hopefully that would be the only thing they would run to while out here.

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan and Aeris both nodded.

"Lead the way," Zoltan invited Reed. "I'll keep watchin' behind us as we go."

Having encountered a battle so soon after having left the town, he was even more wary now.

Aeris started forward as well, watching more carefully now, too.

"What were those creatures?" she asked as they went. "I've never seen anything like that before ..."

[Kara Winters]

Reed did as he was told, carefully keeping a hand on his rapier and an eye out for trouble. However, despite the seriousness, he couldn't help but answer Aeris.

"They're called Twig Blights, pretty much awakened bushes if you're familiar with the term awakened," the bard explained, "I guess it shouldn't be surprised, Asim did warn us about the magic around here for a reason. I wonder if this place has ever gotten an awakened tree?"

He hoped not, he didn't fancy running into one of those.

[Nara-pyon]

"Awakened," Aeris murmured. "Inanimate objects become sentient, animated, yes?"

She had never experienced anything like that in her lifetime. While there were sorcerers and warlocks and such among her people, the land itself didn't have many areas of arcane magic, and certainly not the area she was from.

[Kara Winters]

"Pretty much," Reed confirmed, "Most of the time, outside of places like these, or the feywilds, awakened beings are the result of sorcerers, warlocks, wizards and the occasional druid. There are stories of magical objects that will soak a place in arcane magic and wreck havoc, but they're not something you're likely to come across."

The bard stopped what he was saying for a moment, and as they walked through the towering oak trees on their patrol, he realized he had to amend what he said.

"Well... most of the time, you're not likely to come across them, this kingdom is a bit strange. Though you probably already know since you chose to come to Oak Glen, the Dragon Lord's Kingdom, also lovingly known as the Kingdom of Outcasts, has a really high number of mages, and some cities are just the mecca for magic discovery and usage. If we ever get the money to, we should take a trip to the capitol, you'd like that."

[Nara-pyon]

Aeris' eyes glowed brightly and she nodded vigorously. "Yes, I would like that very much!" she exclaimed. "How much money do you think we would need?"

Of course they would also have to pay to live between now and then, so whatever the amount, it would take longer than just saving up everything they earned.

[Kara Winters]

"Huh... that's a good question, I mean it's a long trip to the place," Reed murmured, "Walking would take us a really long-"

Before he could finish that thought, he noticed out of the corner of his eye a long person shape lump on the ground. It looked like a body, and that it had been there a long while. Upon closer look a person could see the dried blood that had long ago seeped onto the clothes, colouring it like macabre polka dots.

"Is that?"

He looked behind him and then forward, they had long since left the road and turned up north like they were told. They were well deep into the forest, and off the main road. Unless this person had been another adventurer, there was no reason for them to be out here.

[Nara-pyon]

Zoltan hurried over to the body and knelt next to it to check it out. He couldn't tell how long the body had been dead. It was paradoxically soft, but drained of blood, which worried him. It was a male corpse, human. It seemed to have been stabbed several times, but that confused him, as the holes in the clothes were not nearly as blood-stained as they should have been.

He turned his attention to the items on the corpse. There was a long sword that had not been drawn, and was partially covered by dirt. He also found some drawing tools, an inkwell, and a glass quill. There was also a backpack, and inside the backpack he found several documents, including a map with notes, a potion of invisibility, and a great deal of coin.

"No' very cheery," he told the others. "Looks like his blood was gone, or nearly, before he was stabbed. No' much blood in him or on his clothes."

He collected all of the items he had found, putting all of it into his backpack. He would split the coin with the others later.

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