by A. C Carter
X
Thank the Scout Marshall for his Generosity.
Relationship with Scout Marshall added
Relationship with Scout Marshall +1 4 / 5
Relationship requirements met - Option Opened : Ask the Scout Marshall about his home
The Scout Marshall had finished laying out the gear on the ground.
“First, for Slicks, I have a new shield.” said the Scout Marshall, displaying a medium sized round shield with a light blue bubble barrier surrounding it.
“This shield has a Level 10 Spell Ward enchantment on it. It has a protective barrier that can block most spells below that level. The barrier will slowly grow back so you can use it again every few hours.”
“Most sssspells?” asked Slicks as he unequipped his old shield and equipped the new one.
“It can block most small to medium power spells. It’s a military enchantment so it's designed to block the most common battle spells. Fireballs, electric bolts, frost shards. Things like that.” explained the Scout Marshall. “There are higher level versions that can block more, and some that can even reflect spells.”
Slicks nodded as he tested the weight by moving the shield up and down with his arm strapped to the inside of it.
The Scout Marshall continued, withdrawing a small ring. It had little arrowheads making a cross shape made of blue sapphires.
“Next for Arilee, I have a magic imbued ring. I asked The Camp High Mage to identify its properties for me. He told me this is an Elven ring from the Old World. The special metals help stabilize the wearer’s hand. It should make your bow and daggers feel more steady.”
Arilee equipped the ring on the ring finger of her left hand, it, the hand she holds her bow with. The ring grew and shrunk as she slipped it on, conforming to the shape of her finger to find a comfy fit. She looked at her hand, wondering if she would notice any significant change, but everything seemed normal to her. She didn’t have long to think about it because the Scout Marshall took out another item and place it in front of her.
“These boots have the Walk Softly enchantment. They make your footsteps much quieter. Almost completely silent. Only the most alert humans and creatures with enhanced hearing will be able to hear you walking. Every group needs a scout with stealth abilities and these should help you out.”
Arilee unequipped her current boots and equipped the new ones. She smiled at the surprising comfiness of the fit.
The Scout Marshall continued, handing a rock and three sticks to Chip. He paused and looked at Chip. Chip took the gifts, looking at them quizzically. It seemed the Scout Marshall just handed Chip three very ordinary sticks, and a very ordinary rock.
“I don’t get it.” said Chip.
“I know but I wanted to see the look on your face.” chuckled the big barbarian.
“So these aren’t my gift?” said Chip hopefully.
“No, these are still your gift. These were the hardest ones for me to get. I don’t think the Commander would have let me give these to you if I were not on this trip with you.”
“What do they do?”
“These are Escape Sticks. And that is a Binding Stone. If you snap one of those sticks, it will warp you and those around you to the Binding Stone. It is an expensive enchantment, but you can get more sticks made. These look so basic because the Goblins made them. Realistically you can enchant anything that can be snapped, and any anchor will do as a binding point.”
“I can see these coming in handy. Thank you Scout Marshall.” said Chip.
“And last but not least, I have a wand for Leela.” said the Scout Marshall, handing a light brown wand to Leela. It had a small decorative handle carved into a wolf head and another carved vine ran the length of the shaft.
“Oh this is beautiful. Thank you Scout Marshall.” said Leela, cradling it gently as she accepted it.
“The wand is another magical item from the Old World. The Healer Kaerlin can tell you more about it. He told me it used to belong to the old Wood Elf Druids. When you stop by his tent before we leave, ask more about it.”
“And finally, here is a small bag of coins for each of you to help you stay on your feet in the Capitol.”
After the group finished equipping their new gear and stashing their old gear by their tents, the Scout Marshall gathered them one last time.
“I have a few more tasks to complete before I am ready to leave. After you’ve met with the Healer, I will meet you all at the docks. Look out for a dwarf that goes by the name, Captain Skarde.”
With that, the Scout Marshall dismissed the group and turned to leave.
Legend of Starcall
Chapter 27
“I think the Healer’s Hut is over this way by the Commander’s quarters.” said Leela, leading the group.
“What do you think the wand does?” asked Chip, with his new escape sticks strapped into his belt.
“I’m not sure.” said Leela, inspecting her new gift. “It has a vine carved into it. Maybe it shoots vines?”
“That would be cool,” agreed Chip. “Or maybe it can cast a super healing spell.”
Arilee looked at the wand in Leela’s hands. “Whatever it does, it is very finely crafted.”
As the group passed the Commander’s quarters, they saw Kaerlin exiting. He walked towards them, making eye contact with the group. The spritely Wood Elf waved at them.
“Hello there! Leela! I’ve been looking for you.”
“Hello Healer Kaerlin!” replied Leela. “We were just coming to find you.”
“Very good, very good.” said Kaerlin as he joined the group walking. “Let us walk together then. I hope you are having a pleasant morning after the festivities last night." He paused for a moment, thinking. "I guess before I get started, was there anything you need from me?”
“Yes actually," began Leela."I was hoping you could tell me more about this wand. The Scout Marshall said you might be able to help.” said Leela, presenting the wand to Kaerlin.
“Hmmm, I might be able to, may I hold it?” said Kaerlin, reaching to accept the wand.
Leela gently placed the wand into Kaerlin’s hands, “Just be careful.”
Kaerlin ran his hands over the wand, inspecting its grooves and carvings.
“Of course, of course. Let me see now. This is old. Of the Old World. It is made from Valenwood.. And, a vine running up the shaft? A Sun Wolf’s head for a handle. Is this? No, it couldn’t be.”
Kaerlin’s face became intense with study. He was silent the rest of the short walk to his hut as he looked over the curious item. When they arrived at his hut, he quickly went inside.
“You all can stand by that table with the potions on it. I’ll be out in a minute.”
When he returned he had two thick books with him. He moved the potions out of the middle and put the books down. He flipped the pages of the top one until he found the one he wanted.
“Interesting. Very interesting, Leela. This is a special wand indeed.” He motioned for Leela to come to the table. Arilee peaked over to see the page he was looking at. It had a drawing of Leela’s wand. The writing was in elvish. “See here. This says that the Witch of the Wood Elves had a wand very similar to the one in your hand. It is said that is said she used this wand to summon her legendary Sun Wolf, Balta, from the spirit realm. Although the book does not say how.”
“The Witch of the Wood Elves?” said Leela in awe. “What is that book?”
“These are stories from our past. I actually know the Elvish Bard who wrote this. He spent years tracking down the various Caravans of the Lost and collecting all the old stories he could find.”
“Why would a Bard write down his ssssstories? I thought they sssang them.” said Slicks.
“I asked him a similar question. He told me that he fears there will be a time soon when there will be no more Elves left to tell them.” Kaerlin looked sad for a moment, but then looked back at the wand in his hand.
“This wand, Leela, is very powerful, and
is very important to the Elvish people. High Elves and Wood Elves alike. Take good care of it. One day, I am sure it will tell you it’s secrets.”
Kaerlin handed the wand back to Leela. “Now was there anything else?”
A dialogue scroll appeared for Arilee.
Dialogue Scroll
-
Say no and let Kaerlin continue with why he asked for them to visit
-
Ask if he knows anything about the magic ring you were given.
The Scout Marshall did say her ring was from the Old World too, Arilee thought to herself.
The second answer highlighted in response.
Dialogue Scroll
-
Say no and let Kaerlin continue with why he asked for them to visit
x
Ask if he knows anything about the magic ring you were given.
The Tale of Starcall unlocked.
“Just one last thing. Do you know anything about this ring?” said Arilee, extending her hand to show the arrow-crossed ring to Kaerlin.
Kaerlin accepted Arilee’s hand and inspected the ring. The blue sapphires glowed in the sunlight.
“Oh, I do know about this one. It used to be one of my favorite stories. That’s Starcall. The Ring of the Stars. I am no bard, but I will do my best."
The story goes, during the Fall, the ever prideful King of the High Elves deemed this land lost, and felt no obligation to defend it. He called for the High Host and rest of the High Elves to leave and return across the sea.
But not all High Elves answered the call. Some felt a duty to defend their home. Captain Fraeya of Amonalin Keep was one who felt the duty to stay. Amonalin Keep was the first defense against the Dark Elf invasion. To continue their encroasion from the west, the armies of darkness needed to pass through the Amonalin Gap. Captain Fraeya knew if she pulled her guard out of the Keep, it would have opened up the rest of the Elven Lands and lesser races to unfettered disaster and complete ruin. She also knew that if she stayed, they would get no reinforcements and they could not win. All they could do was to stem the tide.
Amonalin Keep’s walls spanned twenty meters high and crossed the entire gap. And to pass through the gap, you needed to pass through Amonalin Keep. With a garrison of five thousand strong vs a horde of hundreds of thousands, Fraeya knew they would not last long. She sent messages out to all the nearby towns and villages to retreat to the Valenwood. With the High Elves gone, the Wood Elves were the last hope. Then she prepared for battle. If the Keep could last just five days, it would give the Wood Elves a chance to prepare themselves.
It is said that Captain Fraeya and the Storm Archers of Amonalin made it rain arrows for forty days and forty nights. Nothing alive made it closer than 100 yards of the walls. The legend says Captain Fraeya could enchant her arrows with the power of the stars themselves. And when they ran out of arrows, they fought in the hallways of the keep itself. They made the Dark Host pay a thousand lives for every inch they took.
In her final moments, when she was the last one standing, she raised Starcall to the sky and commanded a star from the heavens to fall. The Dark Elf army watched in horror as a star shook loose from the night sky and hurdled towards the keep. The star fell, burying the Captain, the keep, and dark elves in rubble.
Kaerlin finished his story with a sweeping bow. The group politely clapped as if they were guests in a theatre.
Arilee looked at the ring with wonder. "Do you know it works?"
"Sadly, I don't know how that enchantment works either."
"Do you know someone who might?" Asked Leela.
"Well, actually, yes. Do you remember that Elven Bard I mentioned earlier? He lives in the Capital City, last I heard. If anyone knows more, he would. You should show him Leela's wand as well."
"How do you think these relics found their way here?" asked Arilee.
"Well the flood washed many things away, and the Goblins have been looting shipwrecks and raiding caravans along the coast since they've been here. It's a big reason the Overlord wanted them gone. I'm sure it's a mix of those two reasons. Besides, these just look like nice trinkets if you don't know the history behind them."
"Interesting," replied Leela.
"So what did you need help with?" asked Arilee.
"Well, now that we've mentioned him. The Bard might be able to help you with this. His name is Idril Elenwë," started Kaerlin.
"I've heard about this Corruption like the one spreading here. It's mentioned in some of the old stories. And having recently learned there was a Dark Elf helping the Goblins, it only lends credence to my theory. The Dark Elves are returning. The Council of the Lost needs to know. Since you are leaving this island, I need you to find them and tell them. Leela, you've lived with a caravan, you'll know their ways and customs. They will trust you. There is a caravan near Corridor that is led by an old elf who goes by Geleb. Find them and tell them about the Corruption Rituals and the Dark Elf. They will know what to do."
A quest scroll appeared for Arilee. It was an update for the quest from her guardian.
Quest Scroll - Find Geleb Cuthsbane
(update)
- Speak with the Elven Bard in the Capital City to find Geleb's Caravan
Optional: Learn the Secret of Starcall
Optional: Learn the Secret of the Sun Wolf Wand
Accept Group Quest?
Yes
No
Arilee showed it to Leela.
“Yes!” said Leela.
The Scroll updated with the answer.
Accept Group Quest?
Yes
No
One Last Talk
Chapter 28
The group said goodbye to Kaerlin and made their way back to their campsite to pack up before going to the boat.
Arilee could see that most of the camp had woken up by now. Moving slowly, soldiers trudged about doing the morning chores.
When they arrived back at their campsite it looked as they had left it. Their old gear was still lying around. Everything looked disheveled from the previous night.
“We should tidy up before we go.” said Arilee.
The group dispersed on arrival and started tidying up the campsite and packing their belongings. Arilee picked up her old boots and moved them closer to her tent, and then started putting her things into her backpack. She turned and saw Leela looking sadly at the wand in her hand.
“What’s wrong Leela? Are you upset we don’t know how to unlock your wand yet?”
Leela looked up surprised. “What? Oh no. It’s not that. It’s nothing.”
A dialogue scroll appeared.
Dialogue Scroll
-
Reassure Leela
-
Continue packing, don't press the issue
Arilee realized something was wrong and pressed more.
Dialogue Scroll
X
Reassure Leela
-
Continue packing, don't press the issue
“It’s okay. You can talk with us about it.”
Leela sighed, and looked at Arilee, making eye contact.
“It’s just that in the story Kaerlin told us, Captain Fraeya sounded so heroic. A shining light in the darkness of her time. And when the time came, she laid down her life willingly. The Witch of the Wood Elves has a similar story. All of the heroes do.”
Leela paused for a moment and looked back at the wand.
“I wasn’t ready to die back in the Goblin Cave. I didn’t want to die. I was afraid.”
Arilee thought on what Leela was saying before responding. “It’s okay to be afraid. I was afraid to in the Goblin Cave. Just like you were afraid at the Spider Nest. But you stood up strong then. You didn’t run. You saved all of us”
“I could never just leave you all.” responded Leela.
“I think that’s what is important. You stayed.” said Arilee, smiling reassuringly.
“I still just don’t know. I’m not strong. There
has to be someone else. Why did fate thrust us into the middle of this? Can we even trust the Scout Marshall after they used us?”
Slicks answered, “Fate hassss nothing to do with it. Life doessss not care about what we want. It just issss.” Slicks flicked his tongue out once, and looked around. “I admit, it isss nice to have a group to face it with thissss time.”
Chip added his own thoughts, “And plus, we don’t really have to do anything. The hard part is over. I don’t think there will be any Goblin Caves in the city. And since we’re all already going to the Capital City, it might not be too much trouble to find this Idril and at least see what he has to say about your new items. I heard mention of a pet Sun Wolf.”
Leela began to smile and giggled at the thought.
Chip continued, “And if we decide to keep going after that, Healer Kaerlin said the Caravan is near the Corridor border. The town I grew up in is near the Corridor border. I’d love to show you guys around! And I can show my father some of the new spells I’ve learned.”
Leela smiled. “I guess you are right. At the very least there won’t be any Goblin Caves in the city. A pet Sun Wolf does sound nice too. You all really want to stick together once we go to the Capital City?”
