Walk of a Phantasm

[Dis Lexic]

Without thinking, you throw up your hands let the building heat out. The result is a huge gout of crimson fire that hits the pigman full in the face. He bellows in surprise and pain as he stumbles back, his massive hammer pulling him further off balance, not helped in the slightest by the bending handle as the metal rapidly heated to the point of softening. You stumble back, both from the unexpected force of the fire and from the sudden inexplicable drain of energy that hits you. Before you can fully recover, the elf beside you curses and grabs you by the collar.

"Move it kid!" she shout as she drags you away

You stumble, but regain your balance as you follow her over to the tent where the other Elves who had remained had reclaimed their weapons and were dealing with the remaining bandits.

"What are you talking about?" you ask, "That fire was hot enough to melt metal!"

"And Orks can handle molten metal bare handed," says the elf as she snatches up a wicked looking, barbed spear made of an odd looking white metal, "Trust me, that wont keep him down for..."

She grabs you again and throws you down, just in time to avoid having your head taken off by a red hot warhammer as it ripped through the tent.

"I'm gonna make this HURT!" snarled the Ork as he stomped forwards, completely ignoring the blazing mass his hair had become.

He lowered his head, pawed the ground a few times, then charged, tusks first, barrelling towards you with incredible speed for something so massive. You scramble out of the way as the elf took off, swooping around and diving at the Ork, spearpoint first. The massive pigman barely grunted as the razor sharp blade bit into his thick hide without much effort and took a swipe at the flying elf, forcing her to abandon her attack.

You quickly look around for something you can use since you really didn't fancy getting to close to something that could casually punch your head off and spot a couple more Elven spears sitting close by. The only problem was, you had no idea how to use a spear, although it wasn't that difficult to just stick it in the distracted Ork. Alternatively, you could still feel the fire inside you, now back to its previous intensity and can feel a faint tickling sensation that you somehow know is the fire still burning on the Orks scalp. It might not be able to hurt him, but another blast could distract him long enough for your temporary ally to land a fatal blow.

Try to stick the pig with a spear.

Try to distract him with another fire blast.

Try to take control of the fire on his head.

 

[Dis Lexic]

Once again, you find your power reacting without much conscious input from you and the flames licking the Orks scalp abruptly erupt, burning white and hot enough to cause the grass around the Ork to begin to turn yellow. It was also enough to bypass the Orks resistance to fire as the massive warrior screamed in pain and stumbled back, swatting at the flames as the smell of burnt pork began to fill the air. The elf didn't hesitate and dove once again, angling her spear in just the right way to pierce straight through the pigmans back and out the other side. The Orks scream became a gurgle as his flailing slowed and he slumped to the floor.

"OK, you can put him out now," said the elf, "Preferably before you start a forest fire."

You frown and close your eyes as you reach for the fire again, clenching your fist as you will it to go out. For a moment, the almost living element resisted, before your will smothered it and the flames vanished, leaving the bandit leaders head blackened and charred.

"Well, that was certainly interesting," said the Elf, "Thanks for the help kid. I honestly don't know if I could have beaten him on my own. I'm Suzu, Captain of Lady Sphing's personal guard."

"Its not a problem," you say, "I'm Alex, I'm a...well, a new Adventurer."

Suzu raises a thin eyebrow.

"How new?"

"This was supposed to be my first quest," you say, "I wasn't expecting to have to fight bandits on a simple letter delivery."

Suzu stares at you for a moment, then snorts.

"Kid, you never know what the road will throw at you, doubly so if your an Adventurer," she says, "Anyway, lets go and make sure that the non-combatants are alright."

She turns to head towards the trees where her charge had vanished, but before you could follow her, she stops as Carnex emerges from the trees followed by the butterfly girl and the Elves who had accompanied her.

"Ah good, you've finished up here," said Carnex as he approaches, "Thats a relief."

"Sir Carnex, what a surprise," says Suzu, bowing to the Bard, "I wasn't aware that you were in the area."

"I have some business in Coirceoga and happened upon the sight of the attack," said Carnex, "Lucky I did since it appears that something...unpleasant may be afoot in the Elven Court."

He frowns as he eyes the massive corpse of the Ork.

"I doubt that he was a regular bandit," he says, "I can believe Wargs not realising just who they had captured, but no Ork would be so foolish as to not recognise an Elven royal and definitely wouldn't be foolish enough to kidnap one. Not only that, but he had to know that this road wouldn't have much in the way of worth while marks to make up for the danger of being so close to the Forest."

"He did mention something about a boss," said Suzu, looking thoughtful.

"But why?" asked the butterfly winged girl, presumably Lady Sphing, "I mean, I am a royal, but I'm not in line to inherit anything more important than the Archives and theres nothing in there that would be of value to anyone who can't just go in and find it. Having me wouldn't even let them get access to the Forbidden sections without permission from Mother."

"That is the question, is it not?" mused Carnex, "Unfortunately, I don't think we'll find the answer standing around here."

He turns to you.

"Alex, I suggest you go on ahead and finish your quest quickly," he says, "I need to stay here for now. I doubt that there will be any more attacks, but I want to make sure that Sphing makes it back to the city safely."

Agree and head off on your own. Your part here is done.

Stick around. It might not be your quest, but you might as well see it through to the end.

 

[Dis Lexic]

With the excitement over, you leave Carnex and the Elven entourage and return to the road. The rest of the day passed without incident and you finally arrived in Sett Village, a poorly named place as it turned out as it was less village and more small town. It wasn't large, but even so, it was well defended with a wall and a decent number of armed and armoured Elves patrolling both on the ground and in the air. Considering that it acted as the main point of entrance into the Forest and the Elven kingdom that didn't require who knows how long slumbering around in the notoriously confusing and magical woods, as well as serving as the main headquarters for the Elven boarder patrol forces, the high military presence wasn't surprising.

It also didn't keep the inn from being remarkably comfortable, or the breakfast you were served before you left from being incredibly tasty either. The fact your Guild Card and mention of your current Quest got you both for a mere five copper coins only made it better.

With your energy restored with a good nights sleep and an excellent meal, you head out from Sett, following the path into the woods. Under the canopy, the Lost Forest was incredibly quiet. Oh, it wasn't silent and you could occasionally hear a bird call or the rustling of an animal going about its business, but the sounds were muted and hushed, as if nature itself didn't wish to break the peace of the day. Dappled light leaked from above, lighting up the path in patches and causing strange shadows to dance across the trees and mist that hung oddly in the air.

All in all, it was pretty much exactly how you'd expect the forest home of an Elven race to be.

The remainder of the journey to Coirceoga took a further two days, during which time you made sure to keep meticulously to the path, as you had been instructed to by the Guard who had seen you off from Sett. You weren't entirely sure if it was because of Magic, not wanting to get mistaken for an enemy by patrolling soldiers or simply because the forest was just naturally confusing, but you weren't going to risk getting lost or impaled by the remarkably viscous, barbed spears the Elven warriors seemed to favour, not after seeing the mess Suzu's spear had made of the Ork bandit.

Eventually, you reach the gates of the city, a pair of massive, white wooden things between a pair of strangely shaped trees that continue off in both directions in an unbroken, white tangle, creating wall that had to have been created by Magic. After being checked by the Guards, you enter the city and stop and stare in amazement.

Despite the fact that the Elves you have encountered so far haven't exactly acted like you'd expect, the city you now find yourself in is straight out of Tolkens work. The entire place appears to have been shaped from the white trees of the forest, with the trees themselves having been moulded into the buildings, creating a strange, otherworldly look that appeared bizarrely futuristic. The city was on multiple levels, some of which didn't seem to be accessible from the ground, but as many Elves could fly and all of them could climb incredibly well, that didn't really matter to much. Vines criss crossed the streets, providing places to hang flags and the strange, coloured lanterns that, as well as a number of brightly coloured, glowing mushrooms, served to light up the city under the thick canopy that threw the city into perpetual twilight.

After regaining your composure, and ignoring the smug chuckles of the Guards, you head out and make your way to the Guild Hall, a building made up of a number of trees that had been grown in such a way that the branches and trunks wove together to create the walls, while the canopy itself served as the roof. You enter and find, to your surprise, that it is a lot like the Guild Hall back in Crossroads Keep. It even had the large, loud lady manning the bar, only this one wasn't a Dwarf. She was an Ork, just as massive as the one you fought out on the road, but with much softer features, smaller, blunter tusks, softer looking hair pulled into a ponytail to keep it out of the way and wearing a huge version of the Guild staff uniform.

You make your way across the room and stop in front of the bar, catching the attention of the Ork behind the bar as she set down the glass she was polishing.

"Hey there sonny," she says with a friendly smile, "I don't think I've seen you around before. You new?"

"Um, yes," you say, pulling out the letter and putting it on the bar, "I've got a letter for Evelyn."

"Ah, that'll be for me then," said the Ork, picking up the letter and pressing a hefty finger against the seal.

There is a brief flash of light and a flare of...something you cant identify and the wax turns to dust. Evelyn pulls the note out with a flourish and quickly scans it, her eyebrows going up as she did.

"So, your a Sorcerer, eh?" she says once shes done, "Lucky you. Unfortunately, theres not much I can do to help you learn to use your powers. Sorcerers don't really learn how to use their powers, then tend to be more instinctive than that. I can only recommend that you experiment and meditate to try and figure out what you can do on your own."

She sighs.

"Its difficult for non-Sorcerers to really understand how different we are from Mages," she says, "I get people sent to me every now and then, no matter how many times I tell people you simply can't teach Sorcerers in the same way you can teach Mages, even if it seems like you can sometimes."

She shrugs.

"Sorry I cant be more help."

You nod, more than a little disappointed in the revelation, but at least you now had a starting point.

"Bah, enough feeling bad," says Evelyn with a wave of a shovel sized hand, "Your first Quest is done, congratulations."

She smiles.

"It might not seem like much, but its the first step on your journey. Give me your card and I'll register it, then find another job on the board."

You hand your card to the Ork, who stamps it with a glowing stamp she pulled out from under the bar. The card glows faintly for a moment, then returns to normal, with the addition of a single tally on the formerly blank back of the card.

"Your first promotion will come after you either complete 20 Quests or do something to really impress the higher ups," said Evelyn.

"Thank you," you say, taking the card back.

You head over to the board and start scanning the flyers It doesn't take long for two specific jobs to catch your eye.

Kelpie Horn wanted. Deliver to Marian Redscale at Redscale Mechanics at Rugged Coast. E-C rank, 30 silver-10 gold depending on horn quality.

Skilled Adventurer wanted for temporary party for dealing with a nest of Giant Spiders infesting a mine near Stillford Village. D rank, 2 Gold reward, along with a share of any regents gathered on the course of the quest.

 

[Dis Lexic]

Fun fact, both of the beasties from the Quests were alternate options for Alex's first meal.

With your decision made, you pull the flyer off the board head back to the bar.

"Made your choice then?" asked Evelyn as you put the flyer on the bar, "Ah yes, not a bad choice. Alright, I'll get this registered for you. Oh, but before you go, I suggest that you take a look around the market. That gear is fine, but you might be able to find something better around here. Elven equipment is renowned for being light and strong, although it is a little pricey in most places."

You take the flyer back and tuck it into your beg, before saying your goodbyes and leaving the Guild hall. As you do, a Guard in a blue cloak approaches you.

"Are you the Adventurer Alex?" he asks.

You nod slowly.

The Elf eyes you up and down and grunts.

"Lady Mori has requested your presence at the Royal Archives," he says, "I suggest you come along quickly. Its best not to keep her waiting."

Without another word, he turns on his heel and marches away, clearly expecting you to follow. After a moments hesitation, you do so, following the Elf through the city until you reach a truly massive tree located in the centre of the city. The entire thing is large enough around that it could fit the Guild Hall twice and so tall that its top vanished into the canopy above. It was also hollow and the inside had been hollowed out and transformed into a building worthy of the rulers of the forest kingdom.

The Guard lead you into the tree palace, barely slowing as you tried to simultaneously keep up and gape at your surroundings, which only reinforced the impression of both royalty and the close connection to nature the Elves clearly had. Eventually, you and your guide reach a pair of double doors deep inside the tree, carefully carved with a breathtaking, swirling pattern that seemed to shift and change under your gaze and gave the impression of both a magnificent tree and a figure with the wings of a butterfly.

You don't have long to admire the carving however as the Guard opens the doors and leads you inside, once again leaving you stunned as you enter a truly vast library, with shelves seemingly grown or carved from the tree itself that extended all the way up so high that you can barely make out the tops. A number of Elves, many clad in blue robes, moved around the stacks, moving almost silently and looking up with some interest as you and your Guide cross the vast room.

Eventually, your guide stops in front of a door that appeared to be just one of many that surrounded the room and turns to you, fixing you with a glare.

"Wait here for a moment," he says, then turns back and knocks on the door, "My Lady, I have brought the Adventurer you requested."

"You may enter," says a soft voice from inside.

The Guard opens the door and, with one last glare, waves you inside. You enter and find yourself in a well decorated study/sitting room with a currently unoccupied desk at one end and a small sitting area around a fireplace that was burning with a slightly odd looking, pale blue flame. Occupying the seats around said fireplace were Carnex the Dwarf, Sphing, the butterfly girl whos party you had helped save from the Bandits, Suzu, who was now in full armour and stood at her Mistress shoulder, a woman who looked like an older version of Sphing wearing the same blue robes as the Scholars who inhabited the archives outside and an Elven woman wearing a simple, white dress, with leaf green eyes, long, silvery hair kept back by a thin, silver circlet, pearly white skin that, along with her dress and hair, made it look like she was glowing and a pair of elegant, orange and black monarch butterfly wings.

As you enter, all eyes turn on you and you find yourself pinned under the gaze of the two older Elves, ironically enough, like a butterfly under a microscope. For a moment, you feel like the two women are somehow Xraying you, right down to your core, before the blonde woman smiled and the feeling vanished.

"I understand I owe the safety of my Niece to you, young Adventurer," she says in a voice that sounds like ringing bells, "I shudder to think just what a fate would have awaited her had you not been there."

Brush off the complement. It wasn't like you were alone.

Ask why you are here.

Ask who she is.

 

[Dis Lexic]

You blush and squirm at the complement, more than a little self conscious at both the clear gratitude and the womans strange, ethereal beauty.

"W-well, its not like I was there alone," you say.

"True, but had you not been there, it would have been a lot more difficult to get Sphing and the others out without someone getting hurt or killed," said the woman, "Sir Carnex is good, but even an S ranked Hero would have struggled with that alone. Then again, an S ranked Hero would probably have just blown up the camp and been done with it."

"Yes, you've made your dislike of my colleagues quite clear in the past, Lady Nymphalidae," said Carnex, "Although I can't say I can honestly disagree with you in your assessment."

The Elf fixed Carnex with a glare.

"How many times must I ask you to call me Nymphe?" she asked, "Is your mind going in your old age?"

"Not at all my dear," said Carnex, looking and sounding amused, "I simply felt the need to make my slight annoyance clear."

Nymphalidae harrumphed and pouted in a way that was rather at odds to her regal countenance just a moment ago.

The other Elf rolled her eyes and muttered something, before clearing her throat pointedly. The blonde glanced at her and perked up slightly.

"Ah, of course, getting off topic," she said, before turning back to you, "I do apologise for that, I have a bad habit of loosing track of things. I'm sure you're wondering why I had my sister ask you here, yes?"

You nod, slightly confused as to what was going on.

"Well then, let me start by introducing myself," said the woman, "I am Nymphalidae, the Queen of the Elves, the Lost Forest and so on, and I wish to thank you for saving the life of my favourite Niece!"

"Y-your Mag..." started Sphing, going bright red, but before she could finish, Nymphalidae whipped her wing around and covered the younger elfs mouth.

"AH, none of that now!" said the Elven Queen, "I don't care what those stuffy old codgers say, you are family and I won't have my family be so formal with me. Especially not when I helped bathe them when they were young."

Sphing's face was practically nuclear by this point and Suzu was visibly trying not to laugh and failing if the slight shaking of her shoulders was anything to go by.

"Anyway, as I was saying, you have done my nation and, more importantly, my family, a great service and I would see you rewarded for it," said Nymphalidae, turning her attention back to you, "Mori?"

The other adult Elf picked up a lequred wooden box that was resting on the table and stood.

"I'm sure the old codgers on the Council would insist on some kind of ceremony for this, but I'm sure that you have better things to do than stand around for hours listening to old windbags go on about how important they are, so lets keep this simple," said the Elven Queen as she opened the box and removed a round medallion carved with the same crest as had been on the door leading into the Archives, "This is the Royal Seal. It marks you as a recognised friend to the Royal Family and grants you free access to our lands. So long as you carry it, the confusing Magics of the Forest will leave you untouched and any Elf you meet will grant you respect and be willing to assist you."

Understandably more than a little flawed by the unexpected gesture of trust, you numbly accept the box.

"I...t-thank you," you say, "B-but..."

"No, you do deserve it," said Nymphe, "I value family far more than anything else and you helped save one of them from a horrible fate. No treasure or Royal decree in the world could repay that in my eyes."

You are about to protest again, but Mori catches your eye and shakes her head. You wordlessly close your mouth and carefully stow the Crest away.

"Going along with the useless paperweight is something a bit more useful," said Nymphe, ignoring her sisters aggravated groan as she moved over to a large cupboard and opened it, revealing a set of armour that consisted of a breast plate, greaves, bracers and a simple helmet made of the same white metal as all Elven arms and armour were made of and a curved sword made of the same material that looked like a cross between a sabre and a Katana.

"Unfortunately, due to traditions that the Council won't let me get rid of, I can only give you one of these," said Nymphe, "Either one of these will serve you well in your future endeavours and both were forged by our finest smiths."

She muttered something about old codgers under her breath that earned her a soft wack upside the head from her sister. You ignored the byplay as you stared at the two options before you.

Take the sword. A good weapon will save your life more often than not.

Take the armour. A good defence is much more important.

 

[Dis Lexic]

"I think I'll take the armour," you say, "My swords fine for now, but this armour is..."

"Cheap tat?" says Nymphie, "Good, I'd hate to lose a new Elf Friend so soon after making it."

She smiles at you, then spins around and flutters over to the door.

"Well, this has been fun, but I'm afraid that I can't keep those old codgers waiting any longer," she says, "Do visit again Alex, I'd love to hear about your future adventures."

She blows a kiss, then vanishes out the door. Mori sighs deeply and shakes her head.

"Honestly, what am I to do with her?" she mutters.

"Just do as you usually do," says Carnex, "Put up with her antics and try to keep her from causing a war."

Mori glowers and grumbles something under her breath as the Dwarf looks over at you.

"I suggest you get going lad," he says, "I'm sure you have a new job by now and its best if you get going before nightfall."

"Before you do, I should extend my personal thanks for your help in saving my Daughter," says Mori, "I'm afraid I don't have anything quite as grand to offer as my sister, but if you ever need knowledge or assistance, you may call on me and I will help to the best of my ability. The Elven Archives have a lot of knowledge on all sorts of subjects, so I'm certain I could be of assistance in almost any query. I'd give you the Archive Seal, but the Royal Seal makes that largely pointless."

You squirm slightly at the sincere thanks, not entirely used to the gratitude coming from people so high up in any kind of hierarchy. Mori ignored your apparent discomfort as she nodded to Carnex and swept out of the room after her sister.

"Nearly done lad," murmurers the Dwarf as Sphing stood and visibly steeled herself.

"U-um, here," she says in a soft voice, holding out a simple ring made of the Elven white metal, "I-its not much, but it should be able to keep you safe from poison. T-thank you for saving my life."

You hesitantly take the ring, only for Sphing to blush bright crimson as your fingers brush hers and yank her hand back as if burnt. Before you can say anything, she followed her Mother out of the room, still blushing brightly enough that she was nearly glowing. Carnex snickered behind his hand as Suzu sighed.

"Sorry about that," she said, "Sphing is...well, lets just say that shes sheltered and leave it at that."

She smiles.

"I can't offer anything quite as impressive as those three, but you have my gratitude as well. If you ever need some backup, don't hesitate to ask."

She holds out a hand and you accept it, feeling much more comfortable with the Guard Captain than the Royals. Suzu smiles again as you clasp hands, then nods to Carnex and follows after her charge, leaving you and the Dwarf alone.

"What just happened?" you ask.

Carnex chuckles.

"That was you receiving payment for services rendered," he says, "I'm not sure what it was like where you were from originally, but here, most people will offer something in return when you help them, whether it be monetary or a favour. Its considered rude not to accept them and people don't forget, so don't forget to help people who need it on your travels. You might just get something useful out of it."

"I...see," you say.

Carnex grins and slaps you on teh shoulder.

"You'll get used to it," he says, "Now come on, I'll take you out."

You follow Carnex back through the palace and out into the city again where the Dwarf leaves you and vanishes into the crowd. You take a deep breath and look around. Its not yet noon, so you still have a bit of time before leaving became inadvisable if you didn't want to camp in the forest, so you could take a look around the market for anything interesting. Alternatively, you could head out immediately and get your job started sooner.

Head to the market.

Head out immediately.

 

[Dis Lexic]

After a quick stop to restock your supplies, you head out to start heading to Stillford Village. The journey was largely uneventful, with the only slightly interesting thing being a close encounter with a large direwolf that came sniffing around your camp one night, but that didn't go anywhere, other than loosing you a few strips of salted meat. A week after leaving the forest, you crest a hill and find yourself staring out over a shimmering blue stretch of ocean with, thankfully, a small town nestles at the bottom of the hill. You'd got used to camping out, but the idea of a soft bed and a hot, fresh meal sounds utterly heavenly at that moment.

You make your way down to the town and quickly find yourself lodging and a meal in the towns small, slightly run down inn for a few copper coins. As you are eating, a group of large dock workers sat nearby catches your attention.

"Eh, ave you erd?" asks one of them, "Ol' Raddy said ee found some of em bloodstained Pieces while diving the other week."

The other men groan or snort into their drinks.

"Ol' Raddy's a few pints short of an 'angover, you know that Phil," says another man, "Even if ee did find some, the Demeter is aught but an ol' fishwives tale."

"It bloody well aint Stan!" hissed Phil, "You erd what appened to Hadton!"

"That was pirates," says another man, "These waters are full of em."

"The town was completely deserted," says Phil, "No bodies, no blood an all the valuables left behind. What kind of pirate does that?"

The other men shift uncomfortably.

"Maybe they was Slavers then," suggests a fourth man.

Phil scoffs.

"You know as well as I do that slavers are worse than pirates," he sneers, "They would ave taken everything they could and there would have been some bodies."

"Maybe they ad a Mage?" mutters the man, although he doesn't seem convinced, "Makes more sense than a ship of the Damned sailing out of legend and eating everyone."

You stop eating and glance over, your curiosity piqued. While it doesn't have anything to do with your current mission, you are rather starved for company and a good story with a pint of the excellent ale the tavern serves sounds like a great idea. On the other hand, you still have a fair distance to travel tomorrow, so it may be wise to get an early night.

Head over and ask about the Demeter.

Head to bed early.

 

[Dis Lexic]

You quickly finish the last of your food and pick up your mug, before turning in your seat and leaning forwards.

"Um, excuse me," you say, getting the attention of the fishermen, "I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but overhear and I'm curious as to what the Demeter is."

Stan scoffed.

"Its aught but an ol' wives tale," he says, "Somethin' to keep kids from staying out after dark."

"Thats not entirely true," says a man from another table a short distance away, "Regardless of the tales we have today, the ship the Demeter and its crew really did exist."

The man in question looks rather out of place compared with the large, muscled men who mostly called the town home, being tall and slender, with clothing that suggested wealth, a thin face with a weak chin hidden by a pointed goatee and pencil moustache and a pair of small, round glasses perched on his nose.

"Tch, nosy git," grumbles one of the men, "I thought you'd buggered off Johan."

"I still have research to finish in the area," says Johan, "Regardless, if you are interested in hearing the story, I would be happy to tell you.

He clears his throat and opens the notebook sat beside his plate.

"The story of the Demeter begins around 100 years ago," he begins, "Originally, it was a merchants ship, before it came into the hands of one Abraham Harker who transformed it into one of the most feared pirate ships ever to sail the seas of Anima. For many years, he terrorised the Crossing Straight between Northland and Durat, amassing an impressive amount of wealth and reputation in the process. Most people would tell you that he was a monster, but his existence did bring about a few good things. He was the one who founded Haven, the Pirate Capitol on Last Point island and created and enforced the code that most Pirates who make birth at Haven still follow. Even to this day, he is known as the first of the Pirate Kings."

Johan pauses to take a sip from his tankard.

"Naturally, not everyone appreciated the code that Harker enforced and even more lusted after his wealth and reputation. However, he was a very powerful warrior, both with his sword and magic and bested all who attempted to stand against him, whether in the open or under cover of night. It would take an uncommonly powerful or cunning man to take down Abraham Harker."

Johan frowns as he turns the page in his book.

"This is where history gives way to legend," he says, "We know that on the last voyage that Harker took, there was a mutiny, led by his first mate, a Johnathan Quincy, which left the man fatally injured and thrown overboard with a chest of rocks strapped to his boots, alongside those who remained loyal to him, but after that, there is only whispers and the testimony of a single survive of the aftermath which many dismiss as aught but the ramblings of a madman. According to the story, on the new moon after the mutiny, the slain crew returned as monsters, walking corpses that feasted on the blood of the living and turned them into undead horrors that tore their former comrades apart. According to the story, the newly risen Harker ripped the Soul out of Quincy and bound it to the ship, using some form of foul Magic to bring the ship to life using the suffering of the traitor to fuel it. Now, the ship wonders the Straight, praying on any unlucky enough to stumble upon its rotting hulk, dragging them into the depths to join its crew of damned Souls. It is said that the ship can even be summoned by those foolish, or desperate, enough to try by casting a blood covered gold coin into the sea to drag those who have wronged the summoner into the depths at the cost of the summoners eternal service among the undead crew."

Utter silence falls in the tavern as Johan finishes the tale, broken only by the wind blowing outside and the crackle of flames in the grate. After a moment, Stan grunts and shakes his head.

"See kid, nothin' but an ol' story," he growls, "Pirate King, HA! Everyone knows that those scum answer to none but their own greed. You shouldn't waste your time looking for fairy tales old man."

The derisive dismissal breaks the tension and the sound of conversation slowly begins to fill the inn again. Despite that, you cant help but feel like the atmosphere is a little heavier and some people seem rather uncomfortable. You glance over at where Johan has turned back to his notebook and was scribbling something while muttering under his breath. He seems like the type who'd be willing to answer some questions, but you aren't entirely sure if you wanted any more potential nightmare fuel for tonight.

Ask Johan for more details about the story.

Head to bed.

 

[Dis Lexic]

Right, I want this done, so, having flipped the coin, lets move on. And the choice is...head to bed. Dont worry, we'll get more information in the event we end up facing off against the undead Pirates.

The next morning dawned foggy and early with the sounds of a fishing town waking up and going to work. After a decent breakfast, you head out, making your way down the road that connected the small town to the larger Stillford a little further inland. The remainder of the trip took you until noon when you reached the town.

Despite being called a village, Stillford was rather large, possibly due to its rich mines and close proximity to a well travelled trade route. It wasn't quite large enough to be called a town yet, but it was still large enough to have a Guild Hall, which was, naturally, where you had to meet with the other members of your future party.

It doesn't take you long to find the Guild Hall as it is one of the larger buildings in town, and when you did, you are directed to one of the back rooms by a bored looking barman. You find the room and knock on the door, which opens to reveal a tall man with yellow, lizard like eyes, short, stark white hair and long, fin-like ears. He was wearing a mix of leather and light metal armour with a brown and gray mottled cloak wrapped around his shoulders and a curved sword strapped to his hip.

"Um, I'm here for the spider hunting quest?" you say, resisting the urge to squirm under the mans intense gaze.

Something about him was setting your canine instincts off to the point that they couldn't seem to decide whether you should be growling or cowering in fear. A moment later however, the man smiles and the feeling fades slightly.

"Right, you'd be Alex then," he says, "Carnex said you'd be coming."

You blink in surprise.

"You know Carnex?" you ask.

"Yep, he helped me get started on my journey," he says, "Come on in."

He steps to the side and waves you in. You step past him and enter the room. The moment you do, you find yourself nose to nose with a wild haired girl with yellow eyes, almost comically oversized pointed ears and exaggerated canine features you recognise from the Wargs you encountered on your previous quest, albeit much more adorable than the feral wolfmen.

Despite that however, she still has very sharp teeth and was starting to growl as she seemed to catch your scent.

Recoil back.

Growl back.

Back away slowly.

 

[Dis Lexic]

Fun fact, I actually intended for Wyld to be in the Warg camp and join us as a semi-permanent party member, but decided that that would have been a bit...dark considering her backstory.

Almost without thinking, you respond to the girls growl with one of your own. The sound rises from your chest in a deep, bass rumble that you are fairly sure Humans can't actually make (although with Magic, who knows), while your ears and tail both fluff up and your lips pull back in response in an instinctive response to the challenge. Immediately, the girls eyes go round and her ears flatten back, before she jumps of the chair she had been standing on, revealing that she was actually only tall enough to reach your stomach, if that, and ducks behind an exasperated looking woman with bright red hair, glasses and armour that suggested that she was either a Paladin or a Templar. Her shield breastplate, which actually looked functional and didn't come with moulded boobs, was stamped with a rampant, white dragon.

The small girl on the other hand was dressed in hides, consisting of little more than a simple top and loincloth, although you could faintly feel some kind of Magic lingering around them. She was barefoot and armed with a pair of punching daggers hanging from her belt and had a large tattoo across her stomach of the same white dragon as was on her armoured protectors armour.

"Sorry about Wyld," says the red-head, patting the small girl between her ears as she peeks out at you, "We've done our best, but sometimes she can be a little...well, wild. It doesn't help that Sam keeps indulging her."

"Oh, lighten up Cassie," says the swordsman as he steps around you, revealing that he had a long, white reptilian tail in the process, "So long as no one gets hurt, its fine to let her act out a little."

As he is talking, he doesn't seem to notice as Wyld's eyes shift from you to his white tail as it waves past her face and makes a grab for it.

"Anyway, I'm Sam, a Spirit Swordsman and the leader of this temporary Party," he says, turning back to you and continuing to ignore Wyld as she grabs his tail and starts chewing on the end, "You've already met our Thief Wyld and this is our Templar, Cassandra."

"Cassie, please," said the woman, looking rather exasperated again as she rescued her bosses tail from the small Warg's grip.

"I...see," you say, not entirely sure what to make of the odd trio, "I'm Alex, a, um..."

You trail off as you realise you have no idea what your job could be described as.

"Don't worry about it," says Sam, apparently catching your hesitation, "Your new, so you won't have a Job yet. You'll figure it out later."

He glances at the clock on the wall and frowns slightly.

"We've still got some time before we need to go," he says, "I suggest you go talk to some of the others while you have the chance."

"Alright," you say and turn away from the three senior Adventures to the room at large.

The room is set up similar to a classroom, with a blackboard at one end and fave rows of desks and chairs. The rest of the Party is scattered around the room, each doing their own thing. Sat near the front is a short being you can't identify with grass green skin and shoulder length, bright red hair that was pulled into a messy ponytail. Unlike all the other people you have met since arriving in this world, it is dressed in what appears to be steampunk inspired gear, consisting of leather work pants, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a bulky belt stuffed with tools and parts, leather gloves and a pair of large goggles over their eyes. They were hunched over what appeared to be a pile of parts and muttering to themselves as they worked.

A few rows back sits a man and a woman, both dressed in equipment you identify as belonging to the Clergy. While both were Human, they appeared almost unnaturally beautiful, with flawless, white skin that almost seems to glow and a strange, otherworldy air about them that puts you rather on edge. From the mans sleek, shining armour, large shield and longsword attached to his back, you identify him as a Paladin. Fittingly, he was tall and broad, with close cropped blonde hair, a lantern jaw and piercing blue eyes. His breastplate and shield bore a raven with silver and gold eyes.

The woman on the other hand had long, inky black hair pulled into an elegant knot at the base of her neck and decorated with three, pitch black raven feathers and purple eyes that almost seemed to glow. Her robes were black and trimmed with silver, including a silver eye at the base of her throat. Her weapon was a silver shod, black staff with a carved raven with gold and silver eyes perched on the top.

As if feeling your gaze, the woman looks up from the book she was reading and meets your eyes. She stares at you for a moment, then smiles, which really doesn't serve to put you at ease. You quickly look away, trying to ignore the soft laugh from the woman as you do.

The final group consists of three men, all clad in knight armour and bearing tabards consisting of a white sheep skull on a black background, which you vaguely recognise, although you aren't sure where from. They are sitting as far from everyone else as possible and were either glowering at the two Holy Warriors or sneering at the inhuman members of the Party.

You hesitate for a moment, then decide to head over to the:

Green person.

The two Holy Warrors.

The sneering Knights.