Ebb and flow of Economics. (Stonevale/OPEN)

(Open to about 3-4 other level 1 characters. This is a mainly for fun project but I'm trying to help flesh out Stonevale a LOT more canonically. Anyway gang, enjoy the thread! All participants are free to bunny any NPC's in this thread at will.)

(Continued form the events of this: ~thread~ please only post if you can complete this thread with us!!!)

Elthas lost track of Nevin, and that made him a little sad. However, he'd agreed to help The Elven blacksmith that worked at Yark's shop. Elthas was glad that he'd been able to save The Hume (Human), Nevin from being lost in the confines of Ruild. Elthas considered the situation at hand. He was localized at that point, running parcel between The Great Tree (His hometown) and Stonevale, some parcel went far into Radasanth and other cities of Corone proper. That day, Elthas just finished delivering a parcel for Stonevale's single clinic. The apothecary was situated there, and he'd hope that he could come across Nevn. Or other Adventurers that day as well. Llukrath was a fair boss to work for, the man always seemed to have work available and paid Elthas quite handsomely for his hard work.

Elthas was trapped in the ebb and flow of things at that point.

As he finished the run, he had the clients sign the legal documentation, Corone seal, and nodded towards Lady Akarra. She was one of the Healers, an older woman who once served in The Order of Ai'Bron as one of The Citadel's monks.

"Thank you Elthas, this is a fresh stock of supplies we needed." She shook Elthas's hand. "You're fast, we requested the delivery a few days ago and finally got it. You've been a good asset to the town. I'm sure your parents are quite pleased with that." Akarra said.

Elthas nodded. "I visit home often. I still never really adapted to city life. But I don't mind helping the town out and doing my part. I must honour The Old Alliances." Elthas said proudly and for a moment, allowed him a small sense of self worth and pleasure, and accomplishment. He was helping Stonevale and his home town out. That counted for Elthas more than anything else....doing the right thing. Or at least what my Father, Halm, taught me was the right thing. I will always honour my Father's teachings. Elthas thought to himself.

"You all right?" Akarra asked. "Lost you there for a moment."

"Was just thinking about my Father." Elthas nodded. "I think that's my last parcel for today. I gotta report back to Llukrath." Elthas bowed gently towards Akarra.

***

Llukrath was busily working on some of the swords that a wealthy client ordered from the shop.

Elthas made his way towards Llukrath to report that the parcel had been delivered safely, and without incident. "Llukrath, I have the receipt for the parcel."

Llukrath blinked for a moment. "Done so soon?" He grinned. "The Light of our Elders has blessed you with great skill, my boy."

Elthas handed Llukrath the signed document. "Anything else today?"

Llukrath pondered for a moment. "No, that was your last parcel for today. You've already done more than I could have ever asked for these past few weeks, you deserve some time off. Go. See your friend Nevin, I know you are worried about him since last time." Llukrath said calmly.

Elthas nodded. "Thank you." He didn't know where Nevin would be...but there was a promise to keep. And Elthas had a feeling Nevin was lost someplace near town once again anyway. He was glad that the red-headed boy made as much noise as he did. It would be an easy matter to track him...

Elthas stepped out of Yark's smithy. One of many such shops in town. He raised his hood up over the fancy fedora hat he wore. That day, he wore a basic Elven suit cut in the popular Radasanth style of the age. His fedora hat was old and rustic, built for an outdoorsman like he was. He wore all black that day, he wore black oft those days. The locket he wore was a signet locket that was emblazoned with the symbol of House Belthasar.

He walked through town, looking for his friend...Nevin.

(Up to four fellow level 1-2ish welcome to join!!!)

Nevin was currently sitting outside one of the food shops that was thankfully just across the street from the tavern. He had on his light leather tunic over the long sleeved shirt - this time a simple dark green one that looked like it had seen better days. In front of him was a steaming mug of tea that had been half-consumed, and a few crumbs from some kind of meat pastry. The alchemist hadn't been too particular about asking what went into that meat pastry, and the crotchety woman who was running the food shop had just grunted at him when he ordered it and paid. Beside the wooden plank that served as a serving board was an open text - covered in symbols and mathematical formula as well as normal words; and Nevin was currently flicking back and forth through the pages, his eyes scanning the ink that was set into the paper.

He had managed to find the text in a trader's shop - it was a lucky find for the man, as it seemed to be a treatise on lung ailments, and medicines that were effective in treating them in a variety of ways. The first one listed was, of course, the ever popular and prevalent Miner's Delight tonic, the very same one that Nevin had come to Stonevale already knowing how to brew. While the recipe contained within the pages was different than the one he knew, it was only in a few small ways, though he would have to brew a batch to see if this recipe worked better than his own. No, it was the other formula that were intriguing to him - one that claimed to be able to make children's breathing easier in the night, and helped them get to sleep for example, or a salve that you coated a scarf in to help breathing cold, damp air. These were the kinds of things that alchemists tried their best to keep to themselves - or to their apprentices perhaps. But in any case, no, this had come as a boon to him.

While Nevin could experiment with things on his own, the concoctions he made had an unfortunate tendency towards detrimental effects on the consumer. Thankfully he had been testing almost everything either on himself (with counteragents on hand to prevent a most painful death) or on the rats that seemed to perpetually make their way into his basement, so he hadn't accidentally sold a bad brew to a customer. No, having a set of some formula on hand was incredibly useful - it would give him more wares to sell in his shop, and at the same time it would give him clues as to the ways the plants in this region interacted with each other, so his own experiments would start to go smoother. He shook his hand out from where it had begun to cramp up as he held the book open, and picked up his mug of tea to start sipping at it again before it cooled down too much.

As he did so, he glanced along the road that was, finally, becoming familiar. He'd had a couple of rough goes of things as he went on his small hunting and gathering trips, getting lost a time or two, but now he was at least accustomed to the streets between here and the edge of town enough that he wouldn't end up wandering out on the other side of town...again. It looked like there was a flash of black, black on black that is, and he raised his hand, trying to catch the wandering black-clad Elf's attention.

The mining town was bustling as ever, and Ezra was enjoying the cacophony of miners making a ruckus at one of the local taverns or the sharp calls from travelling merchants with their various wares. If this is what society was like all over the world, the Homunculi would enjoy experiencing the different cultures and just... live. But, before they could do that, they needed to at least get their supposed magic power back. The old tome bounced against their hip inside of their satchel, and they couldn't help but sigh. That tome had continued to elude being opened, despite Ezra's best efforts.

But it could wait. Nan was waiting for them to get home.

As Ezra approached the small cottage where they were currently residing (thanks to Nan's generosity), the Homunculi couldn't help but wonder if this was what is was like to be a part of a family. To come home every night, sit down, and have dinner. To laugh during the good times and to cry during the hard times. There was a simplicity to that life that would always be wanted, but the Homunculi had a feeling that they would never have that life. Almost cursed to wander for eternity, in a way.

But for today, they would enjoy the 'simple' life.

The old door creaked and opened as they tapped the door twice, and a somewhat feeble call from somewhere within the cottage rang out. "Who's there?" The Homunculi laughed slightly as they continued stepping into the home and sliding out of their travelling boots. "It is just Ezra, Nan. I caught two rabbits for you out in the forest!" They responded, and a shuffling could be heard as the woman poked her head into the hall.

Nan was an older soul, perhaps in her sixties or so, who had lived in the town for decades. Despite her age, her stormy grey eyes hid a twinkle of youth and excitement. She was a gentle soul and quick with a laugh, but she was not above putting someone in their place. Even the burliest of the miners knew not to trifle with Nan or they'd get an ear full of curses or a swift smack in the rear. Sometimes both. Her back was hunched from years of hard work, and she was adorned only in a simple brown robe and soft shoes to wander the house in. Her grey hair was thinning, but lacking in any sort of bald spots and wrapped in a small bun. With a large grin (minus a few teeth), the elderly woman quickly beckoned for the Homunculi to join her in the room she had come out from.

"Come, come, child! I will make us supper fer the evenin'!" The old crone cackled, taking Ezra's hand and pulling them along the moment they were within arm's reach. "But first, le' me do yer hair, dear. It's gahtten so messy with ye playin' in tha trees all day! Such a prehtty girl like you shouldn't be so rough." Nan cooed, stopping at her chair and pulling on Ezra's hand to maneuver them to sit on the ground. The Homunculi didn't have the heart to correct Nan about their sex, and even the concept of a gender identity was somewhat foreign to them. But if Nan wanted to treat Ezra like a daughter and open her home to them, the Homunculi wouldn't argue. With a loud sigh of feigned defiance, the Homunculi sat in front of the chair. The old woman hummed softly, pulling on their braid and undoing it with a gentleness that would be reserved for a child from their mother. She hummed, running a brush and an old comb through the off-white locks and eventually reweaving the braid. Nan gave a small 'hmph' of triumph, she gave the Homunculi a small slap upside the head. "And that's fer bein' smart with me on doin' yer hair!" The two shared a small laugh as Ezra quickly rose to their feet from the floor.

"Now, I need ye to git some bread from tha smartarse baker for supper. It'll take me some time ta git it all ready, so go change out of yer messy clothes, put on somethin', and git yer arse inta town before ye git smack'd!" Nan barked, and the Homunculi furrowed their brow and (barely) looked down at the old woman. "But Nan," Ezra argued, "I do not have anything to change into..." The old woman stared at Ezra for a moment, then grinned a most devious grin. "Well, dear, let's see what ol' Nan can do abou' that..."


And that's how Ezra ended up in a dress.

It was a very pretty dress, in the Homunculi's opinion. Far too pretty to be worn by someone like them, but Nan had insisted they wear it once she had seen Ezra in it. It was a long informal dress, extending down to the feet and nearly tripping Ezra a few times. Off-white in color, the dress seemingly hadn't seen sunlight in a while but was still very well kept. The sleeves reached down to just above the wrist, with just enough room to breathe. However, the attention grabbing part to this outfit was the leather corset (which to Nan's immense displeasure, didn't accentuate any of Ezra's 'womanly charms') and the ochre sash tied around their waist. The sash itself was ornate, detailed with golden thread and beautiful designs. The Homunculi had argued against wearing such a fine garment, but the old woman had been adamant about it. "Ta gitcha a nice husband, sometimes ye need a lil' extra oomph!" She had cackled, which had left them somewhat flustered at the woman's brazenness. So out in a dress they went, off to buy bread for a saucy old woman they had begun to live with because being a caretaker for the old woman was honestly much more enjoyable than living in a small room at the inn.

They had quickly left the cottage with the small amount of coin Nan had handed to them but in their rush to escape Nan's embarrassing teasing, they had forgotten to ask where to go to find the proper baker. Glancing around, they placed a hand on the coin pouch wrapped tightly next to the sash and began to walk down the road in search of some form of bakery nearby. As they made their way through the crowd, they noticed a man seated near one of the local food establishments waving at them. Wait, waving at them? Ezra looked very confused at this random stranger trying to flag them down for some unknown reason. With unsure steps, the Homunculi made their way over to the man while studying his appearance. Decently dressed, dark red hair cut somewhat short, and looking somewhat dignified in posture. A noble, maybe?

Finally stepping up next to the man, the Homunculi looked down at the man with minor embarrassment and confusion. "I am sorry, but is there a reason you were flagging me down? I do not believe we have me-" Ezra trailed off, glancing at the book that the man had open next to him. Their purple eyes lit up almost instantaneously in recognition, the symbols a very clear indication of magic study. "Oh, how interesting! You have a book on... healing magic, it looks like. Are you a healer?"

Out on the street, standing on an old oaken soap box, Sketch began drawing his crowd in to him. Once he'd gathered up a decent audience, mostly children who sat in front of him, he sat down, one leg over his knee. He fiddled in his pack for his cheap, clay pipe. He spoke out to the crowd. "Has anyone ever heard the tale of Amlen and Rhyn as they searched for the tree of life?" He let his words spread around, using the time to light the hot burning clay pipe as well as to build a little anticipation.

Sketch knew that this story was one that children of all ages could enjoy, and he didn't mind bringing joy to people during the day. "The story begins over a thousand years ago, when a terrible sickness swept through the land. The plague caused great famine as all manner of life was brought low. It sawed through herds of cattle, fields of wheat, rivers of fish and entire forests, killing almost everything in it's path." Sketch turned his voice soft over the last bit to emphasize the drama.

"Eventually, even the great magics of the world could barely hold it back from effecting the great cities, and so a council was called for all of the wisest being in the world to come to a solution for the blight. Wisemen from the plains came, and clerics from the great temples answered the call...Witches from the swamps, and even the monsters sent their great warlocks to find a solution. For all of the wisdom that these folk possessed, none of them had the sense to agree on the best course of action, letting their differences drive them away from an answer." Sketch took another puff of the pipe to let the words sink in.

" Among the delegation, there was an elf boy who'd traveled to the conference with his father. Seeing the arguments as only a child could, he shook his head in frustration. In his dismay at seeing grown folk acting like children, he decided that perhaps it must be a child who acts like the adult. He wracked his head thinking of a solution of what could possibly be done to fix this problem. He remembered a story that he departed mother told him when he was with fever."

""Remember Amlen, if you are ever ill, there is one cure you can always seek. The fruit of the World Tree can cure all ills, so if you ever feel so badly that nothing can help you, I'll go and bring some back." She'd often come into his room carrying a piece of fruit for him when he was sick to make him feel better."

""We should look for the World Tree!" shouted Amlen, "Silence Boy!" shouted his father as he cuffed him on the ear."Don't interrupt your elders." as he went back arguing. Amlen, with tears in his eyes, slowly walked out of the meeting hall. He found a bench to sit on and he cried. Eventually he felt a hand on his shoulder, Amlen looked up and saw the eyes of a human girl. "You said we should look for the World Tree? My mother told me about it, it can fix anything.""

Sketch looked around for a brief moment, seeing that the crowd was enthralled.

""Where would we start?" asked Amlen, "My mother said that the fairies know where it is" the girl replied, "There's a fairy ring near by, we can ask them where it is." And so the two children walked off to find the ring of mushrooms that fairies are said to dwell near. When they found it, they laid milk and honey inside of it, and spun around three times. when they finished the last spin, they found a small winged creature inside the ring, sipping the milk and honey"

Sketch puffed once more on the pipe, allowing the scent of the tobacco to linger for a while before continuing on.

""Pretty children, I thank you for the gifts you've left me. I wish to give you something in return, if you'd wish it."said the little fairy with the voice like ringing bells. "Sweet fairy, we wish the fruit of the World Tree! We want to end this sickness that the plants and animals have so our parents will stop fighting like children."Rhyn responded."

""Fair child, this is no simple thing you ask of me, for as I can get you the fruit simply enough, only if it is planted can this darkness end." the cheerful voice replied. "Why is that so difficult?" asked Amlen."For the fruit can only sprout if a pact is made and honored upon it's planting." replied the fairy. "You two will have to promise to aid and protect one another, for the rest of your lives. If that oath is broken, the tree will wither and the magic will end, bringing this plague back across the world once more."

"The two children agreed to the oath, and the fairy bowed it's head and flew into the sky. The children waited until the sun was about to set, and as they began to despair that something had gone wrong, they heard the ringing voice of the fairy speak out, "I have brought the fruit for you, and remember what I've told you. For the rest of your lives, you must protect one another and give aid." and then the cheerful puck left. Amlen and Rhyn took the fruit, that was the color of pure gold, and planted it in the fairy ring. the two looked at each other and spoke the oath to each other. No sooner had the two finished the words, than a great silver tree sprouted from the ring."

"Pale light exuded from the tree, and all that the blight had caused to wither grew green and whole. The two children brought their parents to the tree, where they beheld the light, and saw that the children knew that it was story that was shared between the races that fixed the problem, as all of the adults could only see what drove them apart. "

"Amlen and Rhyn grew up, and honored that oath. going on many adventures and becoming great heroes. Upon their deaths, the two were buried beneath the tree, and to this day, it grows with bright light shining even in the middle of the night."

Sketch let the words drift, as the children were abuzz with excitement. He closed his eyes and puffed the pipe, and heard the clank of coins as audience clapped.

Truth be told, he didn't mind telling stories with happy endings, though he knew that deep down, things were much darker. He preferred to tell the stories that taught lessons, invoked fear, and appealed to the darker side of his personality. Stories were what he knew, who he was, and part of Sketch liked who he was.

Elthas spotted a girl walking towards Nevin.

Ah that is a good sign. Elthas thought to himself as he waved back toward Nevin. There were folks of all sorts moving around the town of Stonevale. Some going to this or that shop, and some bringing the ore from the mines to the smith shop and many other activities of that nature. There was a pulse everywhere...a life. Elthas's sharp ears caught the story that the word-smith was speaking of. He stared at Sketch's general direction and nodded at the story teller. That story is about The Great Trees of my people... Elthas thought to himself. Elthas suddenly found himself thinking about his family back home.

The Great Tree was a fairly sized town of Forest Elves in Concordia Forest. Ruild. But most importantly, The Great Tree gave off a tremendous amount of life energy and was an gigantic old oak tree that was thousands of years, perhaps older...old. Elthas thought of home as he approached Nevin and the girl, and smiled.

At the same time he turned his attention towards Sketch.

The fellow seemed like a daft sort of guy, he sat on a box nearby. There was a small gathered group of towns folks near to his position. Elthas turned his attention back towards Nevin and the girl. The girl wore a pretty dressed that seemed to have been kept in rather great shape. The girl was very pretty upon closer inspection. Elthas smiled as he approached Nevin and the girl. "Nevin. Glad to see you're well today." The Forest Elf looked at Nevin and the girl and bowed gently towards them. It was a humble greeting, form a humble man. The Elf observed the book that Nevin held. "Did you get your shoppe set up my friend?" Elthas asked.

He then looked towards the girl that was standing near Nevin, also looking at the book. "I've not seen you around town before...are you a recent arrival?" Elthas smiled softly. He continued. "My name is Elthas, what is yours?" The Elf, still relatively young for his people, had a very friendly attitude about himself. He was fairly social and enjoyed helping folks that sincerely needed help. "But yes, excuse me a moment. I would like to talk to that fellow over there for a moment." Elthas said to Nevin and the girl. "I shall return shortly." Elthas tipped his fancy fedora hat in greeting and then moved off towards Skethc's position.

"That story...my people tell it still to this day. Amlen was one of my ancestors." Elthas explained proudly to Sketch and the gathered crowd. House Belthasar, House Bellaparte, and the other major houses of The Great Tree spawned from the union between The Great Heroes Amlen and Rhyn. "An alliance between Men and Elves were forged from that first union." Elthas said with a soft smile on his face. There were children of all sorts listening to Sketch speak. A few Elves were also in the crowd. Elthas looked at Sketch...there was a familiar something that Elthas couldn't quite place in the man's eyes.

Elthas nodded once more towards Sketch. "My Mother told me that story when I was very young. It is one of my favorites." Elthas took out a gold coin from his pouch and tossed it towards Sketch. "You are doing my people a great honour." He explained. "When you're done your work I'd like to speak to you at length later on today." With that, Elthas tipped his fedora hat in greetings once more towards Sketch. He walked back towards Nevin and the girl.

Once he reached Nevin, Elthas smiled again. "Nevin it has been some time since I saw you last...how are things?"

Nevin blinked several times, processing the fact that a fancily dressed woman had just come up to him at the table where he was sitting. A cream, or maybe egg-white, colored dress that had been in storage for some time was trailing along the ground behind her, while she had - Wait is that an ochre sash? Where on earth did she even find that? He shook his head and focused on her, wondering why she had stopped to come to talk to him. His head tilted to one side as he listened to her - there was something weird about her voice, though what it was he couldn't quite place - and shook his head.

"Ah, n-" His response to her initial question - that he hadn't been trying to wave her down, but rather he was waving at his friend that he had just seen - was interrupted by her sudden notice of his alchemical text. Again there was something strange about her voice. It wasn't quite right, not light enough to match her stature, but he'd seen enough people that he knew some had differing voices. No, he didn't know what was wrong but it was tickling at the back of his mind, an idea that something about her was not as it seemed. He glanced down at the book and nodded, slightly off-balance by her almost aggressive interest in what he was doing.

"This is an alchemic text book, and I, madam, am an Alchemist. My skills have not yet been turned towards an application of straight healing. This are recipes for potions, salves, and tonics to remedy physical maladies." Right. Now he was back on solid footing, talking about his skills and training. Firm once more, he looked up at the woman that had approached him, finally appraising her beyond her odd attire. And now he was processing that more than just her voice was off. Her face looked.... Nevin frowned. Her face looked almost too.. like a doll that had come to life, a mannequin with a mobile expression. But not quite - there was life to the expression, this was no crafted golem - a simple golem would not have been able to react to changes in its environment so rapidly, or been able to recognize that it had been waved at. No, whatever was this girl was - wait. Looking at that too perfect face, was it a girl? This wasn't like Elthas' 'beauty' - Elves all seemed to be too pretty. This was something else. And that hair was unnatural - a person so young wouldn't have that hair without albinism being an issue, and if this person was an albino, they'd have had pale skin - they had dark skin - and red eyes from blood vessels. Instead their eyes were a.., purple? And were those...?

"Why do you have runes on your eyes?" This was said under his breath as Nevin peered up at the standing girl - individual. The corset they were wearing was clearly designed with a mind to emphasize a bust line, and this person's chest was as flat as Nevin's own. A cross-dressing man? No, that wasn't right either, the voice was wrong for that. Before he could keep asking the person just what was going on - or just what they were - Elthas showed up. The social butterfly blew in like a hurricane, greeting them both and apparently not noticing that there was something wrong with the woman before him - and asked a question before running off, to talk to a man who was speaking a short distance away, to a group of kids. Nevin shook his head and started to focus back on the woman again, only to see from the corner of his eye when Elthas tossed a coin at the speaker and then flit back over.

Maybe social hummingbird was a more apt description for the overly active individual. He didn't even give anyone a chance to reply to him really before flitting to the next person that had caught his attention. Nevin shook his head with a slight smile - having some time apart from the Elf had given him a chance to process everything that had happened that day, and he no longer felt quite as suspicious about the other man. He shrugged slightly. "Things have been... well, for a given value of the term, Elthas. Managed to track down some strange acid-spewing lizard in the woods, not quite sure what I can use the parts for in my alchemy. And yes, to answer your question, I did get the shop set up - Herbal Magick, obviously closed as I am out here and having breakfast. Yourself?" He shot an apologetic look at the... strange... individual that had come up to him. He hadn't expected to have Elthas just throw himself about like a leaf on the window from one conversation to the next.

"Ah, an Alchemist, I see! That makes a lot of sense with the mathematical equations..."

Ezra gave a gentle turn of the lips, somewhat being mentally stimulated at the discussion of magic. They kept their eyes focused on Nevin as he spoke, analyzing his face as much as they could. Humans were always rather unique in appearance, yet always had a lot in common despite most humans denying it. But something seemed different about this man. His deep red hair wasn't exactly uncommon, but his eyes were so dark... almost entirely black in appearance. But as his eyes shifted towards the book, they saw it: a faint flash of a dark red. That's definitely different from most humans. And there was something more, something in his face that Ezra couldn't quite place, but before they could really ponder on what was bothering them, the man muttered something under their breath that sent a chill into the Homunculus.

"Why do you have runes on your eyes?"

'Wait, he can see them!?' The Homunculi was internally panicking, but before they could refute the man's question, another person had walked up to the two and began talking to the seated man. Apparently, the alchemist was named Nevin, and had recently opened up a shop for his wares. Ezra jumped when the man- no, an elf- asked if they were a recent arrival and introduced themselves as Elthas. He was polite in tone and appearance, giving off a rather gentlemanly vibe. They could only give a small smile in response, reaching for the side of the dress to give a one handed curtsy.

"Uhh... yes. I arrived only a few days prior. My name is Ezra." They responded, still keeping a side glance at Nevin while awkwardly smiling at the elf before them. As soon as the elf had appeared, he walked off, talking to a storyteller a bit away. The moment the elf was distracted speaking with the cloaked man, Ezra shot a small glance towards the alchemist and gave him a somewhat worried look. They weren't trying to panic, but his perception of the runes on the eyes were worrying. The Homunculus couldn't afford to be found by the wrong people who might want to figure out what their eyes could do. With a quiet tone, but loud enough for Nevin to hear, they could only ask, "If you could keep what you noticed to yourself, I would be very appreciative. I suppose it could be discussed later... b-but not here."

Once more, the elf blew in before Ezra could say anything more and continued the conversation where he had left off as if he hadn't been swept away in the first place. The alchemist began talking about his shop more, as well as his hunt in the forest. The Homunculi let out a small breath of relief but an idea popped into their head as the two men spoke. Perhaps a bribe of a good hunt might help keep the purple-eyed mage's secret? They shifted somewhat uncomfortably as they stood, quietly placing their arms behind their back and listening to the human and the elf speak.

Sketch walked over to the tables, clay pipe smoldering away in his shirt pocket. He enjoyed telling stories for people, and it was made even better when others enjoyed him telling them. He walked over to a food cart nearby and order a light lunch, paid the cart owner, and took a seat.

The tall lanky man looked around the street, it had a fantastic atmosphere, people enjoying themselves with bustling conversations and laughter. These were the types of places that Sketch loved to visit during the day, places that attracted the best qualities of life. As he looked around, he saw the black-leather clad elf who'd spoken to him before, sitting at a table with, from what he could guess, was a red-headed scholar of some fashion, and a girl who wore a dress the color of faded swan feathers.

The trio didn't seem deep in conversation, but even though the very kind elf had invited him to speak with him later, he didn't want to interrupt. Sketch simply waved at the gentlemen when he caught his eyes, and mused about how something about the trio seemed out of the ordinary. Something with the flavor of a heroic ballad maybe? No, no... an epic adventure. Yes, that felt right for this mood, Sketch had an excellent sense about these things.

Sketch hoped that what ever stories may unfold, he'd be around so he could tell them later.

Leaf on the wind...that was an accurate statement of Elthas's life those days.

Elthas looked at Sketch once more and nodded to the man as he moved back towards Nevin and his friend. I assume they are friends...yes? Elthas thought to himself as he moved skillfully back. His boot falls barely missed a single step and it was almost as if he walked on air most of those times. It had to be those Thayne's damned shoes! Even standing still, Elthas's body was in a consistent state of motion. Possibly a side effect of his naturally enhanced speed. Elthas stood in front of Nevin and his freind for a long moment. He was already becoming impulsive and felt the urge to move again, but he was content for a time to speak with Nevin.

Elthas didn't get a chance to hear the daft conversation between Nevin and the girl. "That dress is one of Nan's isn't it?" Elthas politely asked the girl. Nan was once a famous Tailor there in Stonevale. But she'd grown weary of large crows and lived in solitude. Did Nan take on more help? Elthas was curious about that. Elthas knew virtually everybody in town at that point. Nan was not unknown to him. She'd taken in his Brother, Drathis for a time when he'd gotten severely injured during a hunt gone wrong. So Elthas's family had some ties to Nan. "It suits you well." Elthas had calmed down considerably while standing still and having a sense to be a little bit grounded in front of Nevin...mainly for Neivn's sake.

Elthas's mind tended to wander quickly from point A to Point X to the thirteenth power. It was largely how he operated, he rarely liked sitting still and few things legitimately held his attention. That was not his fault, but namely, a side effect of enhanced speed. Elthas was tapping his foot impatiently as he waited to see what Nevin and Ezra would do next. "Have you two had dinner yet?" Elthas suddenly asked with a raised eyebrow. The fedora hat he wore was tipped at a forty five degree angle casting a small shadow on his face. His features, though in a constant state of flux and movement, were handsome. His face was angular and proud. He had the genetic markings of his people, twin pointy ears that were irregularly long.

"The pub is typically buzzing at this time of the day. We should all go inside and have ourselves a nice and hot meal!" Elthas was insisting. "Dinner's on me." Elthas said with a soft smile towards Ezra and Nevin. Elthas stole a glance back towards the story teller, Sketch who was already telling another story. The same gathered crowd of interested listeners was present. Elthas always did like bard type folks, they were an interesting and often mysterious lot. Elthas picked up singing as a hobby a long time since. The bards of Elthas's people were quite skilled in baritone and soprano singing.

Many famous bards of the age were Elves. Elthas hoped to impress his friends with his singing that day. At that point, hurricane Elthas had had enough of waiting and attempted to impatiently tug Nevin off the bench and on his feet if his attempt succeeded. "Come on, come on come on!" Elthas grinned as he did that. He figured his friend would appreciate the warm action. He was chuckling the entire time he did that act. "Let's get going, the day is still young and Adventure awaits!" Elthas was already bounding towards the tavern quickly assuming Ezra and Nevin would follow...

The soft, quickly spoken request, almost pleading, made Nevin shoot a quick look at the strange, disconcerting individual next to him. He hadn't been aware that he had spoken his thought aloud. A quick frown stole over his lips before he had nodded, he wasn't about to go telling someone else’s secret when he had his own that he kept close to his chest. Then Elthas had made it back, and Nevin's attention had returned to his…. Friend?


Was friend the word he'd use here. He was familiar with Elthas, enough to recognize the Elf on sight. And he was indebted to Elthas, if it hadn't been for him Nevin might never have made it out of the forest in one piece. There was also the introduction to the smith to consider - Nevin was sure that it was Elthas’ introduction that had made that whole situation go over so smoothly; even if he was running into some troubles that the journeyman he was studying under couldn't figure out.

All things considered, friend was the closest thing he had to a term for Elthas, yes. Even if the man’s ability and habit to flick between multiple conversations in a relatively fast tempo irritated the more sedate Alchemist. He could tell, at times, that Elthas seemed to be visibly restraining himself - it was shown in the way he slowed down, but at the same time he developed apparently unconscious habits, random body parts twitching and bouncing, until the Elf sped up once more, which eliminated the twitches. It was a kind gesture, perhaps trying to account for the fact that not everyone had his social graces?

His question made Nevin look down at the crumbs that were on the tray on the table, then back up at him, one corner of the alchemist’s lips quirkiness upwards in amusement. He was, as Nevin was becoming quite familiar with, an entirely energetic person who rarely seemed to care about whether or not he knew a person before inviting them along to do something. At least, Nevin didn't think he knew the…. girl….? that had come up to Nevin.

The Alchemist opened his mouth to respond - and Elthas was already gone, bouncing off with vim and vigor in his stride, a happy call echoing over his shoulder as he charged off. Nevin rubbed one temple with a snort and shook his head before standing up, stretching out his shoulders and back. He scooped the book off of the table, closing it with a hearty thud, and looked towards the too right person who was standing beside him, looking fairly nervous - at least that's how Nevin figured they felt, from the stiff posture they had taken up.

“He means well. My name is Nevin, his is Elthas. I know we spouted off with each other’s names, but a proper introduction is appreciated nevertheless by most. A pleasure to meet you, ah.. Miss? Ezra. You should come along and join us - he is likely to come back out looking for you if you don't show up quickly enough.” He shot a quick glance around to make sure that no one was too close - the storyteller did seem interested in the trio after all - then leaned over to whisper into Ezra’s ear.

“And I won't tell anyone of the runes. Discuss them, or not, at your own leisure.” As much as he had enjoyed talking with Avis - and indeed looked forward to seeing her again - he would rather not put anyone on the spot like he had been. He nodded to the… To Ezra, and then started following at a more sedate pace after the bouncy Elf - bowing slightly to the storyteller as he went. While walking he did start thinking about the runes that the.... That Ezra, had in Ezra's eyes. He had not recognized them at first, so he would need to mentally catalogue them so he could try to look them up later. While he wouldn't force the girl - Ezra, he still wasn't sure if Ezra was a girl crimson take it - to talk to him, he could do his own research.

"If you wish to call me Miss Ezra, that is fine, Sir Nevin. Although I do not believe I'm worthy of any sort of honorifics. You can just call me Ezra, but again, if you insist, you may refer to me as Miss." The Homunculi gave a small smile, adjusting the long braid hanging over their shoulder. One of these days, they would have to trim it down or something. Couldn't have it getting caught on something during a hunt, after all. Maybe Nan could do something about it? Ezra quickly shook the thought out of their head, realizing that they were getting pulled along on a dinner with a group of... strangers? Acquaintances? They couldn't decide which category fit better, but regardless, they had promised to buy the bread and bring it to Nan for their supper together. But refusing the elf's generosity would be rather rude, wouldn't it? They bit their lip, thinking of the best way to solve this problem. After a few moments, they finally spoke and looked to Nevin almost apologetically as the elf- no, Elthas,- had already run off to the tavern.

"I would love to join you gentlemen for dinner, but I do have a prior engagement with my... landlady? And I was on my way to buy bread for supper. Perhaps another time then?" They smiled, giving a small curtsy in the dress again before starting to distance themselves from Nevin and the other man who had come to join the group. Purple eyes flashed for a moment as their gaze fell over the new guest and Nevin. Both held a presence of magic that almost made the Homunculi shudder. Nevin's made sense as he had already mentioned alchemy so it wasn't surprising in the slightest. But the other man had an... odd presence about them. One that made Ezra both curious and slightly frightened. But, Nan was waiting. They made their way down to the road, giving a small wave to Elthas as they shifted on their heel and made their way down another road to where they hoped the bakery was awaiting.


After securing the bread between getting slightly lost and then through the thick accent and curses of the baker, Ezra finally returned home to Nan's cottage. They felt bad that had it had taken so long, and prayed that the older woman wouldn't be too upset. As they entered the home, Nan was humming softly while seated in her chair, an old oak rocking chair that her deceased husband had carved for her many years ago. Despite its supposed age, the chair seemed well kept, a thick green cushion atop the seat for extra comfort. The old woman had a large cloth in her lap, needle at the ready to make more stitches into what Ezra assumed to be a blanket. She looked up from her work, a small grin forming.

"Welcome back, child! You were gawn an awful lon' time, dear. Was worried ye had eloped while shoppin' fer bread!" Nan cackled, giving a look to the basket containing the bread and a cursory glance over Ezra's being. The Homunculi shuddered unconsciously, then gave the old woman a small smile as the pair moved into the kitchen. As Ezra set the basket down, they couldn't help but feel Nan staring at their back, mentally pondering where the Homunculi had been all this time. After a few moments of trying to unload the bread from the basket, they couldn't stand the feeling of grey eyes peering at the back of their head. "Nan, I would have been here sooner, but I got stopped along the way by pair of nice gentlemen. No, trio? Wait, yes, three of them. Nice men, all around." They paused, giving the woman a look. "Definitely not marriage material."

The two shared a long stare before they both began laugh, Nan's much more shrill compared to Ezra's quiet chuckles. The Homunculi began cutting the bread as they continued to speak, a smile still lingering. "One was named Nevin; very dark red hair. He's an alchemist? Very polite, a little reserved. His friend was an... elf? Which to me was almost surprising to see. I don't think I've seen very many elves wandering about this area. His name was... Elvis? No. Elthas! That's it, Elthas. He was a very true gentlemen. Wanted me to join the two of them plus another man they had met out for dinner at the tavern." Ezra was ready to continue on, but hesitated when Nan made a small gasp of surprise.

"Child, you go out to tha' dinner and have fun. Elthas is a nice boy; used ta help out aroun' 'ere wit his brother. Good lads, they were. Now, git goin'. And no buts!" Nan crooned, giving Ezra a small smack on the backside with her cane. The Homunculi sighed, knowing that any sort of argument with the old woman was pointless and would only result in an unwanted smack to the noggin. After wiping their face down with a towel and a promise to the old woman that they would tell Elthas hello, the Homunculi was off to the tavern. Upon arriving, they would look for the gentlemen they had left about fifteen minutes prior.

As the lady in the nice dress got up and walked away, Sketch went over and began a conversation with the alchemist. "You would be Nevin, correct? From what the children say, you make the best candy in the city." Sketch gave an exaggerated bow, one long arm over his chest."My name is Sketch, it's a pleasure to meet a professional such as yourself. I was hoping to discuss a business matter with you, and explain some of the particulars of my situation that I am in as I ask for your help. Though, I'd hate to make you late for your dinner with your friends. Perhaps if it's not too inconvenient, I'll join you all for a nice meal." Sketch held his arm out in the direction of the tavern, as kind smile playing across his face.

As the two walked towards the tavern to meet up with Elthas and Ezra, Sketch continued, "You see Sir Nevin, my situation is a little complicated. I'm having quite a lot of trouble sleeping. Normally, I'd go to the apothecary and request a sleeping draft. However, my situation is made more difficult due to the invasion of a force of sentient nightmares known as Grym that invade my dreams."

Sketch gave a slight respectful nod to Nevin, "I was hoping, that a chemist of your reputation may allow me to have a decent nights sleep while I'm in town."
The two made it to the tavern "Ahh, but enough business. Let's grab a seat inside and enjoy ourselves." Sketch put a friendly hand on the alchemist's shoulder.

Zipping into the tavern/pub Elthas made his way first. Nevin and Sketch arrived shortly after he did, and Ezra a little after. At that point, the group was in position for what would happen next. The tavern was as lively as ever, and though extremely hyper-active, Elthas still was not used to large crowds. The noise made it difficult for him to concentrate, but the smell of cannibus and other smoke was in the air. Further, good food and ale was all around. The gathered patrons were laughing and discussing the day's events. Elthas saw several familiar employees of the bar present. The resident chefs made decent enough food and drink there. Elthas zipped around looking for a table for the small group of fast friends.

Elthas looked over at Nevin and Sketch, nodding in their general direction. "That's my party, plus one more." Elthas said calmly towards one of the waitresses.

"Very good Elthas. Nice to see that Llukrath gave you some time off." She said calmly.

"I'd rather be working. But that's just me." Elthas adjusted where he stood and zipped off towards Nevin and Sketch. "There you guys are." Elthas smiled warmly towards them. "Dinner and drinks are on me." Elthas said, he had earned a pretty gold piece in his time in Stonevale doing this or that task. Earning his way up the ladder of commerce and riches. There was a pretty gold piece to be made if one knew where to look for it. And work hard. Elthas's family were all hard workers. Halm, the legendary Hero from his town, was his Father. And protected The Great Tree and the people of Corone in many adventures.

His Mother, Ellysia, was a skilled mage. She knew how to keep The Wards of The Great Tree active and potent. Elthas himself had a Brother. A boy named Drathis who had become one of them daft Ranger folks. Skilled with archery, wilderness survival and a loyal friend. That was Elthas's family and they were the current part of House Belthasar. One of The Great Houses of his people. The Great Tree was home to several large families, or Clans. Elthas knew that to be the case, but only the most learned of outsiders would know. Elthas thought about those matters constantly, despite the consistent on-the-go life style he lead. He rarely slowed down. Being fast was in his blood...a blessing of The Great Tree.

Elthas let his reverie fade for a few moments and watched his friends sit down. The waitress came to their table and Elthas placed his own order...making it a point not to order the standard Ale of Adventurer folks. Elthas preferred juices and other sweet drinks like pop and root beer. The drinks made him feel good and allowed him to keep up his constant on-the-go life style. Even sitting down, his body was in a constant state of flux. He was moving, on the move, slowing down was not in his vocabulary. Elthas observed Nevin, Ezra and Sketch. They did in fact, make an odd party. But Elthas did not mind, he enjoyed learning about other cultures and other societies.

He was getting ready to ask something to Nevin, Sketch and Ezra when something happened.

Something Elthas did not expect.

***

He looked up from what he was about to say towards the front door of the tavern. "He's hurt!" Elthas rushed towards the entry doors and saw that one of the local guards had a serious injury. Elthas helped the man carefully as a hush filled the normally loud tavern. "What happened?"

"Goblins, sir." Elthas immediately became quiet at that point. There had not been a major incident with Goblins in some years since that point. Elthas stood up. "Where are they?"

"On The West Ridge...near the mine." Medics were already rushing to save the young soldier of Stonevale.

Elthas looked towards Nevin, Sketch and Ezra. They were fate's Heroes now. "Guys...we need to help them. They won't stand a chance if The Goblins have an Overlord with them." Elthas waited to see what Nevin and his friends would do.

At that point, Elthas had a flash-back.

To his younger years, when his Father lived with them and was not as famous as he currently was. "Elthas my son. What do the teachings of our House say in times of need?"

A younger Elthas looked up at his Father and smiled studiously. "We must honour the alliances between Men and Elves." Elthas said calmly. "We must strive to protect those who cannot protect themselves. And always fight for the innocent."

"You are a good boy, Elthas. Take that CODE in your heart always. And do your best to uphold that code. Never tolerate any injustice. It is The Belthasar way."

***

Goblins... Elthas thought to himself. As he patiently waited for what his friends would do...

"Hmm. Sentient nightmares... While that is a rather... different, issue than most I've heard of..." That was putting it mildly. Nevin wasn't about to dismiss the claim out of hand though - considering that he had been a victim of a massive cult worshiping blood or an entity of blood, there was no reason to disbelieve that somewhere out in the wilds of the world there were such creatures, or something that used such creatures to attack others. He frowned and rubbed his chin, running the problem over in his mind. From what he was saying, the creatures invaded when he was already asleep, in the dreaming state. Nevin nodded - he might be able to help, but the problem was it might take some observation to see if it was possible. He had an idea of a solution, but making it work would require his concept of when and how the nightmares attacked the story-teller to be correct.

The issue was shelved in the back of the alchemist's mind to percolate when they arrived to the tavern. The hyper-active Elf had apparently been waiting for them to arrive, as he hadn't even taken a seat before Nevin and Sketch walked in. He cheerily waved them over, and the two men joined him. They had been quietly sipping their drinks - Nevin had once again chosen his preferred honey mead - for roughly a quarter of an hour before the oddity arrived - Ezra that is, whom Nevin still was feeling weird about. Not physically attracted to her weird, but that there was something distinctly off about the woman that he still could not place. It was more than the fact that her features seemed too perfect, almost designed, and the fact that someone had placed runes on her eyes was just adding to the mystery. Still, that was neither here nor there - the others were ordering their food and having small talk, Nevin content to just sip his mead, when the door to the place flew open.

Elthas had rushed over to them immediately, and it took Nevin until after the Elf had reached the new arrivals to realize that it was one of the local guards, and he had a long, deep gash in his side that was oozing red and a strange black ichor. Nevin pushed the singing of his magic away as he stood up and moved quickly over to them, bending down and pushing a curious patron out of the way. He cursed inwardly as Elthas was telling the group they needed to help - this town was not prepared for what was happening. He recognized the metallic tang of the black goop that lined the edge of the guard's wound - a poison that mountain goblinoid clans favored. It was rare to see outside of the mountainous regions of the world, and Nevin only knew it from...before he was Nevin. He stood up and stared into Elthas' face, his lips a grim line as he spoke.

"There's outside goblins at work here, not just the normal island clan. I need to go back to my shop and start working on medicine - I recognize this poison, but the medical facility here in town won't have the ingredients to handle it.
It's best that I not go into the forest as it is, I cannot fight well, and would just weigh any group down that's in the woods. I'd be a liability." And, what he wouldn't admit - Nevin was not a hero. He had been a wanderer, avoiding death by avoiding danger in general, until he got captured by the cult which he felt he couldn't be ashamed of considering it had been an entire town. But since then, danger had seemed to start gravitating towards him on a regular basis. The alchemist bit his lip hard - it looked like he would have to work on picking up a means of actually defending himself. His side still was damaged from the blasted lizard he had met, a potent reminder that a fighter he was not. No, making sure that the town guards had the medicine they needed - and after that, getting some of that medicine to the others after treating the wounded here - that would be where he would do the most good.

Ezra eventually had found the group they had previously spoke with in short order, looking somewhat out of place as they adjusted the dress and took a seat at the table. It was an odd feeling, being in such a lively environment. They were used to the silence and solitude of the forest, or the occasional yell from Nan. The idea of being around multiple people was an odd one, and the Homunculi couldn't help but think of the note that their predecessor had left behind. 'Was it lonely being you, Ezoreth? Did you not miss the world around you? Miss children in the street playing, or men raucously laughing and enjoying a night with friends in the pub? Enjoying the warmth and company of a lover on a lone winter's night? I know so little about you, Ezoreth, but I cannot help but feel sorry for you. Was our research worth losing out on all of this?'

Before Ezra could continue their mental lamentation of their previous self, a guardsman stumbled in and was promptly met by Elthas. The Homunculi remained rather stoic faced as the panic set in about the tavern. Goblins, the guard had cried. Out near the mine, possibly with something called an 'Overlord' with them. Whatever that was supposed to be, it must have been ominous. The elf was trying to rally the table to join him on a quest to defeat the goblin invasion, and Ezra couldn't help but hesitate. It was recklessly dangerous, and they weren't extremely powerful. Elthas might be good in a fight, but Ezra had little combat experience. Nevin seemed to be a bookish type, which seemed confirmed when he said he'd hang back and work on a cure for the apparent poison the goblins had. And then there was the third man at the table. He seemed mysterious and rather aloof in nature, but there was no indication on his combat prowess. With a heavy sigh, Ezra rose to their feet and brushed their hands against the dress as is to clean themselves of the mess.

"Alright, this seems like a rather bad situation. Elthas, I do not think we are properly equipped to deal with this, even with help from the local militia. You might be a great warrior, but I cannot say the same about the rest of us. The world is not full of shining heroes and dastardly villains like the stories of old, elf. I do not wish to run off to my death over this." They shot a glare at the elf, before letting out a sigh and pushing back their long, off-white braid. "But," they continued, "We do have an opportunity to make things better and I suppose we would be the most capable in such a scenario to change the course of fate. We do this the smart way, however. No rushing off to die."

Ezra continued their gaze at Elthas, quietly judging the elf's appearance. Lithe, tall, and definitely experienced in combat in one form or another. Definitely not a fresh recruit in the art of war. "Elthas, if you can, rally some people to aid in battle. If we went now, we would be slaughtered quite quickly. Make sure the troops, if you will, are armed and ready for what will come. If they come along, I want as many of them to survive as possible. I do not think a too large of force is needed, either, as I do not wish to leave the town defenseless if we fail our endeavor."

With a quick shift, the Homunculi's gaze focused on the seated alchemist. Purple eyes seemed to bear down on the man, as if trying to intimidate or at least pressure him into complying with whatever they said. "Nevin, you are honestly the best sort of healer we have at the moment. You can synthesize a cure for the poison, you say? Then do it. Make as much as you can. Then catch up to us at the mine. Bring us the cure and bring some sort of offense. Poisons, ailments, acid, anything. We will need any sort of advantage you can give us and with the healing formulas in that alchemy tome you had before, you might even save soldiers out there who cannot be moved."

Finally glancing at Sketch, Ezra kept a long look at the man and scanned him up and down as well. With a final sigh of frustration at their lack of comprehension of his abilities, they crossed their arms over their chest. "I do not know you well, sir, but I would hope you have some abilities to aid us. Whether it be combat prowess, magical skill, or tactical knowledge, I can only ask you do your best in assistance in this instance. Elthas, I shall meet you on the edge of town once I am prepared. Good fortune to us because death is not an option I wish to experience."

And with that final note, Ezra lifted the front of their dress and began a mad sprint to Nan's to get their regular clothing and their trusted shortspear.

Sketch's night had just been made more interesting as a hurt man stumbled into the tavern. The people he'd been having dinner with rushed to the door to attempt to aid the man, Sketch stood up in the back to observe.

Elthas had attempted to rally everyone's spirits and go after goblins, warning of the poison they carried, and the chance of an "Overlord," the whole idea sounded exciting. Sketch wanted to come and see what would unfold, he'd give his life for a good story.

Nevin, the young man he'd come to the tavern with, had immediately rushed to the wounded man, every bit the empathetic healer that he seemed. Sketch admired the physician's mentality that the young man seemed to hold.

The young lady, named Ezra, began ordering the group around, including Sketch himself. This was a shock to Sketch, he'd never been one to take orders, not that he had any hard feelings about it, it just shocked him. She'd mentioned him having some sort of unknown power, though he'd never made any effort to hide it specifically.

Sketch spoke out, "Well, just so that every card on the table, I'd hate to be an unknown factor. I tell stories that come to life, allow me to demonstrate." Sketch began to speak in the dark, deep, baritone that he used when he summoned the Grym. Sketch spoke a quick poem to summon a small, non aggressive Grym.

"Little Bo-peep
lost her sheep,
And didn't know
Where to find them;
Leave them alone,
And they'll come home,
Bringing their tails behind them."

The lights grew dim, and the room became enveloped by a low-lying mist. out of the mist rose a small white sheep looking creature, with a viscous smile and the empty eyes that all Grym shared. The little monster stood up on two legs, and was collared by a large, iron chain. It made a loud moaning sound that caused the hairs on the back of Sketch's neck stand on end.

"This one is mostly harmless, but I have quite a bit of room when it comes to the specifics of what they look like and how they act." Sketch gave a low bow to the room. He made a wave of his hand, and the monsterous sheep vanished. The room returned to its normal aspect.

He turned to Nevin, "Those are the Grym, the ones I'd discussed with you, who invade my dreams."

"If you wish to fight those goblins, I'd be happy to go with you all, if you'd accept my company. The Grym can be very valuable in a fight, and I can summon a phantasmal horde that can cause a panick to a small force of goblins. I'm not sure where the overlord would be, but I may be able to clear a path for the rest of you to get to it."

Things were happening quickly.

Elthas knelt down to the injured soldier, his wound grievous, but not fatal.

Though the fact remained, there was an imminent threat. Elthas was glad that he had his friends present at that exact moment. He blinked for a moment attempting to calm down. He then looked a the few soldiers that arrived with the injured. Elthas nodded again.

Sketch, Ezra and Nevin were all present. Elthas looked at Nevin at that point. "Do it." Somehow, Elthas had been given the mantle of leadership. He didn't mind it. Elthas looked at the gathered in the tavern, several burly types approached the defenders.

"We can help too." One of the warriors said.

Elthas looked at Sketch at that point...A Summoner... That interested Elthas greatly. He knew from the teachings of his people that Summoners were even more rare than the other schools of magic. His mind was working quickly. "All right, you two there." He pointed to some volunteers. "Take the defenseless and put them someplace safe. We don't know how many there are." From what Elthas knew about Goblinkin, was that they oft worked in large groups. Concealing their numbers.

Elthas knelt down towards the injured soldier. "Kraat." He said the man's name. "How many are attacking the mine area?"


"There were five that I saw. Their weapons are likely poisoned, sir." Kraat said calmly.

Elthas stood up at that point. "Nevin, help all you can." He said calmly. Then he looked at Ezra. "Take your time to prepare, friend. I'll meet you at the mines." Elthas suddenly had a fiercely determined look on his face. He looked at Sketch. "Come with us, my friend. We must do all we can to thwart the attack." Elthas stepped outside...

His mind became a blur at that point. There were the sounds of screams everywhere, friends and comrades injured at the hands of savage Goblins. Elthas's face remained determined. As he stepped out, several folks stepped out with him. Elthas looked towards Sketch, and the gathered volunteers. "Keep a tight formation, Nevin and the others will tend to the wounded." Elthas drew his finely crafted daggers. His eyes narrowed and up ahead he saw several soldiers, near the mine. Elthas moved quickly, faster than most of the Humans could move. As was his nature, he was one of the first on the scene.

Elthas...oddly enough...began to sing.

He saw several injured folks on the way to the front lines. He had no medicinal/healing arts and could not help them. Nevin could, maybe Ezra and the apothecary of the town. Elthas spotted the locale Captain of the militia fighting with all he had. Elthas narrowed his eyes.

The first Goblin turned his attention towards Elthas. (Loosely translated from Goblin Tongue) "<Interloper, my lord!>"

The leader of The Goblin squad was fighting the Human's captain. "<Kill them ALL."> The Goblin said.

And Elthas attacked, engaging The Goblin directly with all the lethal skill his Father, Halm Belthasar trained him with. Everything became a blur.

Nevin had raised an eyebrow at the commanding tone that Elthas had used - the Elf was ordering him to do what he had already said he would, so it was kind of... strange? Nevin decided to ignore it though, it didn't matter. He turned his focus to the guard that was standing half-supported by his teammate. He nodded roughly. "Right. You - to the medical facility. Tell them to wash out your wound only with water - using alcohol to cleanse it is NOT a good idea, the Goblins that this poison came from know about that method, and included an ingredient that will essentially turn the poison into an acid if it encounters alcohol. So. You. No. Alcohol. Got it?" This was said to the uninjured man, as the guard who had been hurt was looking woozy so he hadn't heard. Or at least, Nevin wasn't going to trust that he would remember the instruction. The other guard though, had turned a pale white, and nodded rapidly. "Good. Go. I'll be coming as soon as I get some of the antidote mixed. Tell them to begin preparing heated compresses - if anyone else comes in injured, the heat will slow down the spread of the poison, drawing it back to the surface. Go, go!" Nevin didn't bother waiting to see if the men had listened to him this time, instead looking to Ezra and Sketch as Elthas had already sprinted out the door.

The Elf had some kind of unnatural speed - he had been gone in moments, and there were people standing in the street who were looking quite dazed. Nevin turned to Sketch again. "Don't bother trying to follow him - unless you know where the mine is, I'd suggest sticking with the reinforcements that Miss Ezra is leading there. Stay safe you two." Nevin took off towards his shop, leaving the front door hanging open as he flew into the back and down his hatch - though he did shut that behind him as he got to work mixing the herbs, plant parts, and the limited amounts of animal resources required for the antidotes. The antidotes were not something he kept on hand these days - he'd come to an island nation, and had not expected to have to deal with Mountain Goblin poison any time soon. So the antidotes he was hurriedly brewing were sloppy, not the normal works of concentration and skill that he would normally churn out for his products - these were focused on getting the job done over everything else, and as soon as the potions turned the right color he considered it done.

The alchemist didn't waste time brewing any restoratives - what the medic facility had on hand would have to do. No, his attention was solely on getting the medicine that was needed for the poison. So up the ladder he went, carrying fifteen remedies with him, and he barely slowed down long enough to lock his door back up. The streets were filled not quite with panic, but with worry - no one had attacked Scara Brae in recent history, and the people barley knew how to deal with even one isolated Goblin. No, after this, someone would have to look into refreshing the training of the town guard. Five Goblins should not have been enough to be a concern to guards, even with a Mountain Goblin along for the ride - it showed that Stonevale had been peaceful for far too long. The injuries they normally dealt with came from accidents in the mines, not from hostile attacks.

The medics looked frazzled, except for one old, grizzled veteran of a doctor, who was currently barking out orders. He pinned the redheaded alchemist with a steely gaze as Nevin burst in. "Oi. Boy. You warned these lumps about the alcoholic reaction?" Nevin nodded. "Good, you'll do then. OI, LOUTS, LISTEN UP!" The medics in the chamber froze, and as one, turned to look at the two of them. "THIS MAN IS THE ONE WHO KEPT YOU IDIOTS FROM TURNING THE GUARD INTO AN ACID SCULPTURE. LISTEN TO HIM, OR I'LL STRING YOU UP BY YOUR TOENAILS!" He cut his volume and looked to Nevin, stamping his cane roughly. "That should do you boy - if any of them give you any trouble you let me know. Now. What can we do?" Nevin stared, mildly dumbfounded at the man, then nodded, swallowing roughly before raising his voice and speaking.

"Alright. This poison acts differently from most - it's far more topical in nature, it doesn't sink into the blood stream unless it has been left to sit for too long - that's why washing it out with water as soon as possible was vital. This is probably because of whatever the ingredient is that they use to lay a trap for anyone trying to clean wounds with alcohol, but in either case it doesn't matter. The most immediate solution is to clean the wound with water, followed by applying the antidote to the site directly. This is not meant to be administered orally or intravenously, so don't bother trying to get victims to drink it - just wash the cleaned wound with it. If you don't have time or access to water wipe the poison away with a cloth - do not let it touch your skin - and then flood the area with the antidote. Now then, we treat this man then we need to get out there to the battle-site. Faster response is crucial with this poison." Nevin strode over to the pale, sweating guard, and uncorked one of the vials of antidote, and dumped it into the wound. Within moments the tension and pain on the man's face relaxed, and he slumped into unconsciousness. That done, one of the nurses stayed by the guard's side as the rest of them took off for the battlefield.

Dashing in dresses wasn't exactly the easiest of physical feats, but Ezra was going to make due. Getting attacked by Goblins wasn't exactly on the agenda for the day, but then again, meeting the dour alchemist, the Grym mythweaver, or the ever-upbeat elf wasn't exactly in the cards, either. Making their way through the town square towards Nan's cottage, their gaze bounced between the townsfolk weaving in and out in a hectic pattern. Some families were moving together, some stoic while others cried out in fear for their lives. Young farmers holding their tools of the trade, as if prepared to fight to the death rather than flee. Women helping prepare medical tents, no doubt waiting for the wounded. Were these simple folk preparing for a minor skirmish or a war? The human emotion spectrum was quite interesting, in Ezra's opinion. They couldn't imagine how these people must... feel so much. Their emotions were so varied, so extreme. With a minor shake of the head, the Homunculi made their way into the cottage with all the grace one could have while rushing.

"Oi! What's all the racket?!" Nan was clearly irritated at the elevating noise, but Ezra said nothing immediately as they began undoing the corset as quickly as possible. "Ach! No, ye stop that, lass! What's got yer garments in a bind, ah? Got a gentleman calla' on the way te visit?" The old woman hobbled towards the Homunculi and attempted to stop their hand movements on the corset but Ezra continued their frantic strip. "Nan, I need to change. There is a Goblin issue at the mine and I must assist." Nan frowned, giving Ezra a small poke in the side with her cane. The Homunculi winced, but continued trying to undo the knot in order to slide out of the dress.

"No, no. That be the men's job. Lasses like ye should let the boys win their 'onor and all that silly shite." Nan chided, still watching Ezra desperately struggle. Clearly, the woman had no intention of really helping the Homunculi get out easily. They continued their fiddling for what seemed like a long time before finally getting the corset off. With a small smile of satisfaction, they quickly heaved the dress off and dropped it on the floor with a loud flump! The elderly woman looked almost shocked, jaw open slightly as Ezra now stood before the woman with nothing more than the long undergarments to go with the dress. Scrambling through the house looking for their usual hunting outfit, the Homunculi didn't even hear the elder complaining about the 'skin markin's', 'dark scars', and other commentary as they quickly got into their usual gear and was out the door once again. Their spear felt somewhat heavier as they moved, their boots slapping against the dirt.

'I do not believe I have ever slain a 'sentient' being up until this point. I have slain animals in my hunts, but I cannot say that I have taken the life of a truly feeling creature. Ezoreth, have you done something like this before? If you had, were you as conflicted as I feel now? Is this... nervousness?' They pondered to themselves as they ran ever closer to the mine. Upon arrival, they held their shortspear tight and watched the clash between the Stovevale soldiers and the Goblins. The Homunculi didn't move immediately to combat, choosing instead to remain locked in place and just... watch.

Sketch stood Near the mines, the parts where the incursion had taken place were covered in the sounds of screaming, banging and no small amount of blood. The storyteller watched as Elthas charged foreword through the grunts of the goblins, attempting to find the leader.

Sketch advanced with the makeshift troops that had been put together, his part of the play was clear and consice. He held his arms stretched outwards, his head hung low as he spoke to the goblins in a voice that seemed unable to be drowned out by the panic.

"The raiders caused havoc amongst the mines, mayhem flowing from them like a river, they didn't know that the town was protected by great heroes, and the invaders had understated their prey. One of the defenders was a tall man with a wicked grin and a dark voice. As he spoke, an unnatural darkness crept into the night, blotting out the stars, followed by a rolling fog." Sketch said, his deep baritone echoing and rolling off the stone.

"As the words spoken by the storyteller echoed off of the carnage, the spirits of the those whom the goblins had killed appeared before them, their eyes hungry for revenge!"

Sketch had chosen shapes of mutalated corpses for the Phatasmal Grym to take their shape from, their empty forms eminating raw fear at the goblins. This trick was different from summoning a physical Grym, it allowed the Grym to leverage their nightmarish nature against the psyche of the a large group of enemies, and while the goblins were physically strong, Sketch did t think they were terribly brave or mentally strong.

As the spell was cast, the goblins started to scream and shout. Three of them ran away, those could easily be run down, Sketch guessed. The last one stood petrified, and the farmers turned militia dispatched it easily, striking a fatal blow while it was panicked.

Sketch had broken the goblins ranks, the rest would be up to the others. The "ghosts" may unsettle the farmers, but he figured that with their powers focused on the goblins, Nevin and Ezra may find the Grym a curiosity at best. Sketch sat down and watched things unfold, his grin displaying a manic glee.

Elthas saw the three run off and burst forward in a speed rush to the nearest, he would not let them get away.

A townsfolk armed with a bow and arrow struck one of the fleers square in the spinal column, killing them. The captain quickly slayed the spell caster. The distraction that Sketch had provided was enough to turn the tide of battle.

Elthas... The Elf boy heard a voice in his head.

He stopped running at that point and the guards quickly dispatched the mad-fleeing Goblins. There were shouts and screams all around as Stonevale attempted to recover from the attack. Elthas saw the world as a mad blur, an adrenal rush. He was breathing heavily as he stood there. He lost track of his friends, Nevin, Sketch and Ezra. His eyes were crying at that point for the fallen. War takes everything from everyone...why did they attack...?

Elthas... He heard the voice again. Go back to Stonevale...they need your strength.

He had not realized how far he'd actually ran chasing The Goblins down.

The last Goblin was slain by his hands.

He'd run up behind it, and slit it's throat. Black ichor, blood, spilling everywhere. Elthas took several deep breaths as the forward guard caught up with him.

"Elthas!" The guardsman yelled. "You're hurt man, come back to town they are asking for you."

Elthas had only just noticed at that point that one of the goblins had managed to cleanly slice Elthas's chest. The dagger was poison etched, and that likely explained the voices he'd been hearing. Elthas looked at his friends as they slowly walked back. "I'll be all right once Nevin and the others treats me." Elthas felt the burning sting.

"It's been years since the last Goblin Raid." The Guardsman explained while they walked back to town.

The pain gradually got worse.

He clutched at his chest for a moment. "It's like Nevin said...these weren't normal Goblins."

"Only good Goblin, is a dead Goblin if you ask me." The guard said quickly and they both walked back to Stonevale.

Elthas shook his head, it was at that point that the feeling of paranoia gripped him. Why would they organize an attack NOW? The thought never sat with him. Something was off, and didn't add up in his mind. But he was hurt and didn't have the resources on his own to properly figure out the reason of the attack. Only five did that much damage... Elthas was crying at that point for his friends, and for the injured. He considered Stonevale to be a second home. Elthas had become Stonevale's adopted son.

Elthas saw Sketch and nodded towards the story teller. He walked towards him and smiled at him. "Thank you. You saved many with whatever it was that you did." He wanted to say more to the summoner, but his body gave out at that point. And he collapsed from the effects of the poison...

He hit the ground hard and his mind became a blur as he passed out.

Nevin stayed firmly in the middle of the pack of medics that were currently running along the trail towards the mines. A few of the men had been left long behind - they were in poor physical shape and couldn't keep up with the sprint. The alchemist felt a disdain for them - it was all well and good to be a sedantary doctor when everyone you might see would be brought to you, but when your village also had an active mining complex nearby, where people might get hurt and need emergency treatment there? Being too out of shape to get there in good time was shameful.

But he also couldn't lead the way to the mines - mostly because, despite living within easy travel distance of the place, Nevin had never been there. Despite his skills in Alchemy, Nevin hadn't volunteered with the medics yet, and had never had cause to come out this way. Of course he was cursing himself for this failure to explore on his part - he could have left the others behind and gotten the rest much sooner if he had known the way. As it was, he was relegated to the speed of the rest of the group.

The sounds of combat, and the cries of the wounded, reached his ears first. Good. They had made it in time to actually be of help - if everything had been quiet he would have been much more concerned. The group of medics carrying their tools broke through the line into a scene of chaos.

The Captain of the Guard was wiping down his blade while shouting for help. The last few Goblins were currently being corralled by.... Nevin had to do a double check, and he wasn't wrong. The things that were currently terrorizing the Goblins, keeping them trapped as the guards finished them off, were literally the walking dead, twisted out of recognition by something.

The medics were breaking off, rushing to the people they knew, and Nevin scanned the area, growing more concerned by the minute. He might be flighty and far too energetic, but Elthas prided himself on being dependable and noble. So where was he? Nevin knew the Elf had rushed off before the rest of the rescue team had been gathered, so he should have beaten them all here....

A heavy feeling sank into his gut as Nevin snatched a bottle of the antidote and took off running. The Captain had been calling for help - but he himself wasn't injured, so the other medics had been ignoring him. But Nevin realized some of the black wasn't the same shade as rest - and it was trembling, breathing shallow and rapid.

As Nevin slid to his knees, his fear was confirmed. Elthas had a gash running down his chest, glistening with black ooze. Cobalt, the fool had gotten himself hurt. Nevin looked around quickly, and snatched the water bottle from the Captain's hand, ignoring the man's angry protest. He used the water to wash out the wound, eyes focused with bloody intensity as he made sure there was none of the thick black poison remaining in the slice.

Once that as done Nevin ripped the antidote open with his teeth, spitting the cork out onto the ground. The thin fluid was poured into Elthas' bloody wound - Nevin steadfastly ignoring the fact that his skin was singing with dozens of triumphant choruses - and then Nevin ripped a strip from the bottom of his shirt to stuff into the wound to stop the blood or the antidote from escaping. As he watched, the antidote did its work, and the Elf's shaking and shivering began to fade.

With a loud sigh of relief, Nevin lifted his head up and looked around, trying to see where everyone else was. The Captain of the Guard, realizing that the oddly dressed redhead was a healer, was now standing defensively by the two of them, Alchemist and patient, clearly keeping them safe under his watch. Nevin couldn't see the dress-wearing woman anywhere, not that he could blame her - even if she had been odd, that didn't mean she'd be suited for combat. Sketch was... Watching with a grim expression? Yes, that, as the shambling, unholy corpses were moving around.

But the were all... Safe. That was a weight off of his shoulders.

Ezra continued to watch the fight from their new perch up in a nearby tree, feet dangling down and swaying back and forth. They could have stepped into the fray and assisted, however the more they watched, the more they realized how unneeded they were. By the time they had arrived, the fight was pretty much settled and with Elthas and the mythweaver stepping in to assist, the battle was as good as finished. The Grym, as the storyteller had called them, had been quite an asset in the battle and the Homunculi made a mental note to speak with the man more about his summons. They hummed to themselves, head tilted slightly to the side. Their lack of understanding human (and Goblin, in this case) nature had become a hindrance, and it was mildly frustrating that the answer wasn't so obvious. But an odd feeling had settled in the back of Ezra's head, and they began running the scene over in their head.

'Looking at the battlefield, it does not make sense. This was a small force, far too small to actually hold the mine if they wanted to claim it. This force would have been a much better ambush team, if anything. Our side outnumbered them easily, and if this was supposed to be a scouting party they did a poor job of it. They were not subtle in their movements, they allowed the guards to get away to report their presence, and refused to flee when confronted. I cannot help but be curious as to their plan or if there even was one, but it is unimportant at the moment. We have no dead, as far as I can see...' Ezra pondered, shifting their gaze between the slain goblins and the captain of the guard, who seemed almost impressive for such a small town guard. As they dropped down from their tree perch, their view shifted as the red-haired alchemist ran by towards the captain and... well, that was surprising. It seems the elf had gotten himself wounded and, therefore, poisoned. That had to be painful. With a simple stride, they made their way across the battlefield towards the trio of men. Upon arrival, they carefully sidestepped the guard captain, who said nothing but gave a sharp look as Ezra hovered over Nevin's shoulder. The alchemist hadn't seem to notice the Homunculi just yet, but tact was something that humans used. Knowledge can't be hidden away for long, and Ezra had no time to waste. Answers were needed.

"How is our elven... ally, Nevin?" the Homunculi asked, and regardless of his response or reaction to their appearance, Ezra would continue to speak. "I do have some unfortunate news, though. I have a sneaking suspicion that the force we just faced was a mere scouting party. Or a poor attempt at an ambush force. The goblins do not seem to be rather intelligent, but I suppose this right here was evidence to the contrary." A small, almost amused smile formed on their face, and they sheathed their spear and stretched out their hands towards the forest. They glanced at the captain of the guard, who was doing his best not to look shocked at the idea. It was just a theory, but Ezra felt it made sense. "I would probably suggest that we have a small watch posted here in case more of them decide to return. I have a suspicion that our goblin troubles are just beginning..."

They then shrugged, pulling their hands back and making their way towards Sketch. "Or not. I cannot see the future, after all."

Sketch walked around the mines, surveying the aftermath. The damage seemed minimal, which was good. The corpses seemed to have been a good touch. He waved his hands and the phantasms vanished. Sketch wondered if it was normal for random packs of goblins to just attack settlements and towns with almost no chance of victory, Sketch didn't think so. He wasn't so much a student of history as he was a student of fiction, yet there were no legends he knew that told of goblins being suicidal without a bigger boss scaring them into it.

Sketch found the remains of one of the goblins. He looked through the meager belongings it carried and took some of the poison it carried. He looked at the body, and he couldn't decide if there was anything telling about any of the marks on it. He decided to bring the body back to the group for identification.

Now that he thought about it, where were the others? Nevin was with the medics, he knew, and Elthas was recovering. He looked and saw the young lady walking towards him with a spear of some sort, and questions in her eyes. He'd most likely guessed right when he thought that the young lady would be interested in his Grym. He had no issues discussing it with anyone.

While he was under...Elthas saw things.

Perhaps and effect of the poison...perhaps something else. But he did see things. His people were often aloof, and mysterious. As he laid in the bed days passed. His body twisting and turning in agony. The poison was strong, but Elthas's blood was stronger. His heart beat true. Finally, on the third day, Elthas woke up. He growled slightly as he felt the bandage around his chest. There were his friends present, and some nurses that were over seeing his recovery. He noticed that Nevin was talking to that girl from before. Ezra.

Elthas growled again in pain and one of the nurses immediately made their way towards his position. Elthas looked at her through blurred eyes. "H-how long have I been here, like this?"

"You talk in your sleep." The nurse said calmly. "It's been three days since the attack, you and your friends fought bravely."

Elthas attempted to sit up carefully, but his chest protested. He growled again. The normally speedy Elf was now bed ridden until The Thaynes only knew when. "I saw things. Had dreams..."

"Fever dreams likely. An effect of the poison. You were the last one who needed treatment." The woman said calmly.

Then, Elthas's other friend...Llukrath stepped towards the bed and stood next to the nurse. "At Nevin's request, I had to donate some blood for you. You were almost gone from us, boy. Don't scare me like that again." Llukrath said, with a soft and understanding smile. "I never want to give your Parents the news that you've gone and died on us."

Elthas nodded weakly at that point. "I'm pretty hungry...would love to have something to eat." Elthas had not had a solid meal in some time. And he was starving. Also, likely an effect of that rare mountain poison the goblins had access to.

"They will fix something for you." Llukrath said calmly. Llukrath turned to look at Sketch, Nevin and Ezra and the gathered. "He is back with us." The older Elf said calmly, with a soft smile.

Elthas looked at his friends weakly. "Thank you all for being here..." But the visions he'd seen in his sleep. Something told him...it was just the beginning.

((OOC: Ok so to clarify, we've now done a 3-day time skip, and our conversations from the end of our last posts got carried over to post-timeskip. I'm working off that premise.))



The three days had passed by in a bit of a blur for Nevin. People had been coming in and out of his shop in near droves, whether or not they even bought something. It was a bit... disconcerting for the normally private Alchemist. Especially since most of them seemed to just want to come in and see him, and ended up just staring at him from the corners of the wall as a few people actually came in to shop and purchase things. Finally Nevin confronted one of them and asked why people were coming in to watch him.

Because he'd known the medicine to use and the medics told them all that without his help the death count would have been much higher. Nevin had been a bit thrown off by that tidbit. Apparently he was now a bit of a local celebrity - just not as much as the two who had actually been involved in the fighting. He was curious as to see how the townsfolk were treating Sketch - Elthas was still unconscious. Which was actually a bit concerning to the redhead, as the poison didn't normally knock its victims out for multiple days unless they were past the point of no return.

So he had actually been going to the facility regularly, checking up on Elthas. It had actually taken him a little bit to realize the Elven race that Elthas was from was not the same as the ones he knew of - the High or the Dark - but a third race, that wasn't very well documented. That was when he figured out that this might be a differing reaction to the medicine or to the poison - so he had been trying to figure out a medicine that would accelerate the Elf's recovery, but so far nothing he had tried seemed to work. It was almost like something beyond just the poison was keeping him unconscious, but Nevin and the medics could not find a discernable reason. So, they just worked to keep him from deteriorating, and as comfortable as they could.

But - three days after the assault, Elthas seemed to be improving. The other two had come in after Nevin mentioned to them in passing that Elthas might be waking up soon, and now they were all passing through throughout the day, checking on the man. Casual conversation passed while they waited - and then he woke up. Nevin felt a bit of the tension on his shoulders ease now that the Elf was finally awake again, but it just redoubled as he said he thought that this attack was only the beginning. Well. He couldn't be this.... liable if they did need to fight a threat. Maybe it was time to look into how to defend himself? He bowed and wandered away, beginning to turn thoughts over in his head as to how he could learn to fight.

Ezra was somewhat thankful they hadn't stepped in to join the fray that day. The other three had become minor celebrities due to their heroics in battle or, in Nevin's case, being able to save lives with his antidote. The Goblin poison would have been much more fatal without his assistance. So, they were lucky enough to avoid death and having their privacy invaded somewhat, unlike the other three. But, a few things had yet to be resolved. Elthas' fate was currently in the air, as the poison seemed to be destroyed thanks to the alchemist's cure yet the elf still hadn't awoken. It was odd; it was almost as if there was another issue prohibiting him from awakening despite the best efforts of the medical team. The Homunculi hadn't bothered visiting the elf after hearing the initial report of his condition, as they would be useless in assisting.

So they focused on being more productive in other ways.

Their assumption had been correct about other Goblins, but aside from the obvious remnants of their camp, there was no sign of the little monsters. Even with Ezra's hunting experience, the trail had gone cold and there was no clear direction they had gone. It was though they had simply... vanished. They had recommended to the guards to continue their watch but to be extremely careful, as an ambush could be more and more likely.

Their other focus, was, of course, the man simply known to Ezra as Sketch. The man's summoning magic was most impressive during the battle, and what little history they had learned about the Grym was most fascinating to the Homunculi. They had attempted to copy his summoning spell, but could not duplicate it due to some kind of unknown complication. Perhaps they needed a connection themselves with the Grym before calling for their aid? It was another experiment for them to test later. Ezra also had questions for Nevin, but those had to be asked in private. If they could even get a private moment with the man. Drastic measures might have to be taken...

When the call had come that Elthas could be waking soon, Ezra made their way towards where the elf was currently recovering. The alchemist was already there, and the mythweaver joined not long after. The trio's conversation was very simple, and almost curt. The very definition of 'small talk'. When the elf woke up and thanked them for being there when he woke, Ezra could only shrug in response. It was a courteous thing to do, right? It wasn't that big of a deal. With a few awkward pats on Elthas' head, the Homunculi gave a very faint smile in an attempt to reassure the elf. "Welcome back." They whispered in a gentle tone, then turned promptly on their heel and made their way out of the small building. Their long braid bounced with each step, and they couldn't help but start moving faster as they headed towards Nan's once again.

They were going to need some advice for their next line of inquiry, after all.

Elthas has awoken, Sketch made a point to visit the man in the hospital to check in. The elf had been the talk of the town, and the villagers had been flocking to Sketch to hear the story.

Sketch didn't feel like a hero, all he'd done was scare the goblins at the mine, the men who had fought for what was there's, and the ones who'd gotten hurt were the true heroes. He was impressed with the mettle of the men who'd fought beside him, it was an admirable thing to stare down trained killers and fight.

Nevin had gained quite a bit of popularity, which gave Sketch a smile. Nevin would most likely get quite a bit of business from this, both now and in the future. The boy had quite a bit of talent as a doctor, after all, he'd come up with the antidote for the goblin's poison, and in short notice. With all of the extra attention he'd been receiving, maybe he'd be able to to expand his business, Sketch hoped. He like Nevin, and wanted the bookish man to keep safe and comfortable if possible, maybe wven settle down and start a family.

The young woman, Ezra, had approached him after the battle of the goblins. Apparently she was interested in the Grym, as something more than an acedemic curiosity. She'd asked him questions as to the nature of the monsters, and how he'd learned to summon them, all of which Sketch could only give her small answers that seemed small comfort to her, and sadly to Sketch aswell. The pair had promised to meet again at some other point to try and figure out more about the Grym, as Sketch had suspected, she was someone of magical inclination. Sketch was happy to have someone who wanted to unravel the mystery with him.

Sketch walked back to the mine, the place where the goblins had been routed, he sat on a rock and thought to himself for a long while. "This isn't the end, hopefully once the young elf is fully recovered, he'll start training a proper militia, I can't see this going so well the next time." Sketch looked over the tops of the trees, off in the distance. "But at least today we can revel a bit in what we accomplished." He was unable to shake the feeling of dread as he continued to sit there, and decided he'd go and tell some children a tale of happier times. After all, that's how this whole adventure had started for him.

Elthas looked at Ezra and Nevin, and Sketch.

Friends... It had long since been that Elthas had any true friends. Acquaintances perhaps, but not true friends. He'd grown to respect the people of Stonevale. For Forest Elves, the call of The Wild was always in their heart. They longed for adventure, longed for the sanctuary great forests provided throughout the world of Althanas. Elthas learned that he'd been gone from them for three whole days. Llukrath never left his side, and his newfound friends kept their eyes on him. He looked at Ezra as she left. He nodded towards her. "Thank you." Elthas began. There were things that needed doing and Elthas needed to recover his strength...in case another attack occurred.

They caught me off guard in this attack, but I will grow stronger. So I can protect that which matters most. Elthas looked at Llukrath, the nurse that was present, and Nevin. "How many died?" Elthas asked.

"It could have been a complete disaster if not for your friend, Nevin." Llukrath explained. "A few didn't make it though..." Llukrath had a sad expression on his face.

"We did the best we could." Elthas said calmly. "I had a dream, Llukrath. The Great Tree granted me a vision of what is to come. And we must prepare. The Goblins were not acting alone."

"Yark was also concerned about that, a was The Guard Captain." Elthas said calmly. "They couldn't spare resources to search the hills though, beyond the mines."

"I'll go once I'm fully recovered." Elthas promised.

"Alone...?" Llukrath wondered.

"If I must." Elthas said calmly. "I work better with smaller groups anyway." Elthas was already recovering his strength after the three day long slumber. Though his chest still hurt a little bit, he was strong willed. Elthas had wasted a lot of time in deep slumber already. He needed to make certain that he would be ready to defend against another potential attack.

"Ready to test your strength again, boy?" Llukrath asked.

"No time like the present." Elthas said in respond and slide carefully out of bed. He was indeed quite strong willed, and decided to stand up at that point. It would be a few hours yet before he would regain his speed capacity to it's fullest potential. But for now, there was work to be done. He got dressed and looked at Llukrath, the nurse and all who were still present. "Thank you." Elthas said casually and nodded, with a soft bow.

He had to determine the true nature of The Goblin attack. He would not rest until he would discover that very thing...

~Fin~

Thread Title: Ebb and flow of Economics
Participants: Elthas, Nevin, ArcanaFate, The Crooked Knight
Judgment Type: No Judgment

Elthas gains: 968 EXP and 88 GP
Nevin gains: 1001 EXP and 77 GP
ArcanaFate gains: 847 EXP and 77 GP
The Crooked Knight gains: 847 EXP and 77 GP

EXP rewards inclusive of Stonevale's 1.5x multiplier.

Congratulations!

All rewards added.

Elthas reaches level 2!

Nevin reaches level 4!

The Crooked Knight reaches level 2!