Dawn peeked through the crumbling arches of Oakglade, painting the moss-covered stones with a soft lavender hue. The elven rangers, swift and silent as the wind, had already vanished, leaving only a handful of watchful sentinels to observe the peculiar band of adventurers stirring in the heart of their ancient forest.
Seeing an opportunity to advance their skills, the quartet decided to ask for help from the elves. Kristov sparred with an elf maiden, his movements fluid as he practiced wielding his war hammer with both hands. Mimo, the halfling druid, grimaced as she endured a particularly grueling lesson in surviving the harsh elements under the tutelage of a rather grumpy elf. Sturmberg, the stoic dwarf, spent his time in solitude, honing his wilderness survival skills, his past shrouded in a veil of silence. Lucia, a human druid, practiced her sling marksmanship, her brow furrowed with concentration.
As the sun climbed higher, casting its golden rays upon the forest floor, the adventurers took their leave of Oakglade, heading west. Sturmberg, once a lowly apprentice mason, had a troubled past. He had served in a dwarven troop that was routed, leaving him a seasoned veteran with a deep well of experience. He was wary of sharing his clan history, particularly with Mimo, whom he believed saw him as an anomaly in the dwarven ranks.
Mimo took the lead, her nimble feet navigating the treacherous terrain with practiced ease. Lucia followed, her steps faltering as the day wore on. Kristov kept watch, his keen eyes scanning the woods.
Suddenly, the air filled with the clash of steel and the roars of battle cries. A clearing in the path revealed a most unusual spectacle: an orc locked in a fierce duel with a tattooed elf. They parried and lunged at each other, their movements a deadly dance punctuated by a stream of theatrical insults.
Kristov, a flicker of recognition in his eyes, whispered the names of the combatants – Heldemin, the wandering elven sap carver, and Alachran, an orc blacksmith. Their unlikely friendship, born of a shared love for music and a desire for understanding, was well known to him. The rest of the group, however, stood bewildered by the bizarre sight.
Mimo, touched by the story of their unconventional bond, readily offered information about Oakglade, much to the relief of the theatrical duo. In return, they spoke of Mertyld, a dwarven “stone singer” whose abilities were whispered in dwarven lore. Sturmberg, his own interest piqued, used this opportunity to delve deeper into the subject, subtly revealing his Canide clan affiliation.
Driven by the possibility of work, a flicker of his past life resurfacing, Sturmberg strongly encouraged the group to head towards Stonegarden, a dwarven outpost he hadn’t seen in five decades. However, their journey was far from uneventful.
A gruesome scene unfolded before them in the western woods: a dozen figures sprawled on the ground, their bodies mangled, blood staining the forest floor. A woman in chainmail clung desperately to a sword, her eyes filled with terror. As they approached, a young man, his voice raw with fear, cried out for help.
The scene, however, was a horrific illusion. The “wounded” were members of a slaver group, their “injuries” nothing but animal entrails and blood used to lure unsuspecting victims. Their leader, Harwa, waited with a bronze horn, ready to unleash her band of thugs upon anyone who dared to play the hero.
But the adventurers had seen their fair share of trickery. Using Wail’s Horn and Quetzel’s Mask, Kristov intimidated the group into leaving while Mimo invoked a spectacle of otherworldly terror, sending the slavers fleeing in panic. Their elaborate trap lay in ruins, their prey escaping unscathed. Thus the party was able to continue up the mountain to find Mertyld.
Sturmberg, recognizing the deserted outpost as a former Canide base, found himself staring at the grim remains of a fellow dwarf. Grief welled up within him, a stark reminder of the perilous state of his clan. The adventurers, united by their trials, chose to delve deeper into the ruins and avenge the fallen Stone Singer.
They fought off a swarm of bats, Sturmberg and Kristov emerging slightly worse for wear. While Lucia fell victim to a poisonous mushroom, Mimo, surprisingly immune, remained unscathed. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows upon the ancient ruins, the adventurers knew their journey was only just beginning. The secrets of the abandoned outpost awaited, and with them, perhaps, the answers they sought.
JesseFolk.com 