Ilea found the quick visit to Tremor had lifted her spirits sowhat. Perhaps fighting everyday with absolutely no interaction was too much, even for a hardcore introvert like her. Maybe it was the task she had agreed to take on, finding books and maps about the lands surrounding Tremor. While Ilea quite enjoyed having her life drained repeatedly, taking molten tal baths and fighting unending numbers of Centurions, change was welco after a certain amount of ti.
Landing near Penumra, she made her way towards Hallowfort. The town looked the sa as always except for the fact that there were two sentries standing at the end of the bridge instead of the usual one. Ilea waved as she walked up to the dark ones, both in heavy plate armor. One had a massive curved blade on his back and the other a hamr whose head looked to be too heavy to lift. Is there really anything like that in this world. Greetings, strong one. She said and bowed lightly, the guard turning towards her.
Warrior of ash. A voice responded, the big figure bowing a little in response. Her Veil wreathing around her body identifying her as an ash wielder at the very least.
Hey, can I try to lift your hamr? She asked, stepping a little closer.
The guard looked at her for solid ten seconds then turned its head towards the other guard who nodded. The hamr was handed over as if it was a re plaything. Ilea had her auras active and so of the gained stats had already been invested into Strength. With all the buffs she had a nearly six hundred percent boost to her strength and it showed. Impressive. The dark one simply said as she held on to the thing, lifting it up above her head.
Fuck what is this thing made of. She was sweating when she handed it back. What tal is this?
Pure obsidian. Several weight enchantnts have been placed on it. Your level being higher I assu you have so investnts in other status modifiers too. The dark one said, sounding out a guttural chuckle.
[Warrior lvl 223]
Ilea nodded, Impressive hamr. She said and smiled. While she might be able to swing it, the weight definitely made it too unwieldy for her. Id like a hamr. Nodding to the two, she turned around again when the other guardians head sunk. May I check out the sword as well?
She grinned when his mood imdiately improved, the big curved blade imdiately handed over. Fuck, these guys could be disard with a simple request to hold their weapons. Then again their literal arms probably could dish out so damage too. The blade was lighter by far, well balanced at least as far as she could tell. A black sheen was on the blade and she tried swinging it at the air twice. Her dexterity likely allowed for the swings to look impressive, to an amateur swordsman but the dark one laughed when she handed it back.
You should not use swords any ti soon ash wielder. It wasnt an insult, she was pretty sure about that.
I dont plan to. Its a well crafted weapon dark one.
You honor . It said and bowed, Ilea mirroring the gesture. She liked most of the dark ones she had t so far, at least the bulky steel obsessed ones like most of the guards and Goliath.
Maybe soday Ill end up just like them. Guarding so village I chose to retire in. Not in many years at least. Why are there more guards?
Feynor on the move.
She nodded and bowed again, leaving towards the city. And two guards instead of one would deter them? She wondered. Neither of them looked terribly fast either, a simple fly or teleportation spell would allow anybody to bypass them entirely. Thinking of the only place she knew to hold books in Hallowfort, Ilea made her way to Catelyns shop. The Hunters Den. She murmured when she stood outside.
Opening the door, she rung the bell. A minute passed until the fox appeared out of nowhere, standing on her four feet on the big table situated in the center of the shop. Welco to oh its you. Hey you leveled again! Still hunting knights?
Centurions this ti. Ilea replied, still unable to identify the fox.
I dont buy tal. Ask Goliath.
You told him about the cake? Ilea asked, smiling as she put away her helt.
Maybe.
You did. Well its alright, Ill try to find so for you once I go back. At this point it might take a long ti. She said.
Catelyn purred, Worth waiting a thousand years for that.
You know you could just go south and get all the cake you want. Ilea said and chuckled, With all the gold you have.
Your kind does not do well with ours human. Id be hunt down, as much is known.
Ilea snorted. It wasnt a real suggestion anyway. The fox seed to be intertwined with this town too much anyway. She could certainly get her a place in Ravenhall or with the necromancers. Both them and Claire would probably agree to have the powerful dark one amongst them. Wouldnt take your power to convince them otherwise. Mine is probably enough already.
I believe your power will soon match my own. Do not underestimate the hate one species can hold for another, the hate one can hold for the unknown.
Ilea nodded, I get it. Hey I didnt co for a philosophical discussion. Do you have maps of the north on sale, nothing too complicated. Maps as well as perhaps books, history related would be best I think. All about this territory.
Have you found a survivor perhaps? Of tis long past? Catelyn asked.
A shrug was her reply, Perhaps I did. Why would you care?
She purred again, Why? Because I care about things awakening near this town.
Have you been following ?
A purr again, No. I have better things to do than follow you to places long forgotten little human. What I did however is see that you are wearing armor forged with Stonehamr steel. She hopped off the table and walked towards Ilea, Word of an ash wielder reaching Vineyard Cave has not reached so I can only assu you have found another place to get that steel from. You dont strike as one to buy it. And the information you seek. It strikes as odd that you would have waited so long. Helping soone out seems like a possibility.
Walking around Ilea, Catelyn then appeared on the counter next to the bell, sitting up to be near Ileas face. You are not a deceiver. If you have awoken soone from a ti long past I would like to et them.
To evaluate the danger? Ilea asked in turn and the fox smirked.
Yes. That as well. First and foremost to establish contact. If they are reasonable they could join our town as another powerful ally. Before they reestablished their long dead empire or join the Dark Protector and his forces.
Sounds like this has happened before. Ilea smirked.
The orange fox sighed, Words of a young human. So of the people guarding this place have been kings or warlords before the great change. Others legendary adventurers or champions.
Ilea crossed her arms, Whats the great change? Goliath ntioned sothing similar before.
It is confusing to think a people like yours, to keep records about all and everything. Would not teach their children of the light. Well your kind does not live long. Thousands of years ago the mana in the north changed, the whole world I speculate. So have confird it, coming from far away, others again denied it. Many theories exist to be sure. Us dark ones profited greatly, finding many new places to dwell, many more of us being born.
Ilea nodded, The mana density changed. Thats why the north is the way it is today. It was more like the human plains before this great change happened?
When light was no more. The stars aligning differently. Catelyn added.
A lunar eclipse maybe? Or a teor or sothing. Ilea theorized but it was an event from long ago. No librarian or scholar she had talked to ever ntioned it but to the dark ones it was apparently an important event.
You were born before that? She asked but the fox shook her head.
No. Few remain who have been there. Goliath yet he dwelled in his smithy then as he does now I am sure. She chuckled, What did you find then, Ilea of ash. Kalin? Rhyvor? The red church? Or perhaps even the Old ones?
What would that information be worth to you, one blessed by fire? To et whom I found.
Catelyn grinned but shook her head, It is gold that you want?
Information seems worth more, coming from you. Ilea suggested.
Good. A trade then. What would you like to know?
Ilea thought about it, The nas you ntioned, who are they? Kalin and the others.
Old powerful empires, kingdoms or organizations. Little is known about them, little matters now. Ti has co and gone but secrets still remain, artifacts and perhaps even those powerful enough to survive.
What about the old ones? That seems a little too ambiguous to be an actual thing. Ilea asked.
Perhaps it is. One of your librarians might know more about them. I believe it is simply a way to describe those of great power that could not be assigned to one place or organization. Others believe them an actual group, a hidden alliance of sorts. Not that we dont have enough real ones to go around. Catelyn explained.
Ilea nodded, Ever heard of the Golden Lily? She thought it was worth a shot, even so far north.
The fox pondered for a while, I have, yes. One of theirs has co to look for trade, two maybe three hundred years ago. I rember the na because it was a human. Rare for your kind to be that powerful, to co this far north.
Ilea nodded, Ill tell you who and what Ive found if you share what you know about them.
I have little to share. A female I rember. Above level three hundred three twenty maybe? Mage her armor was made of steel I have yet to identify. As if made from wood but I knew it to be steel.
What did she want?
She sought information on the territory, on dungeons, technology, ruins and monsters.
Not so different from then. In what context did she ntion the golden lily then? Do you know anything about the order itself?
Catelyn blinked, She used the na when introducing herself. A possibly powerful ally to the south I believe she said. Well they never returned. I assu she died sowhere out there. Humans tend to be arrogant, especially at that power. No offense ant to you ash wielder.
Oh no I definitely agree. Dont think its a human exclusive though. Ilea replied. A powerful ally to the south. So its at least big enough to be considered an ally to Hallowfort? Doesnt really change anything. I myself could be a powerful ally to this town. Human arrogance. I get it.
It is not. Catelyn simply stated. I will try to find more information but it is long ago and we have little knowledge of humans and their dealings. Too far away to get information.
Irrelevant as well. Ilea comnted, the fox shrugging. I have found the king and queen of Rhyvor. Maro and Elana Invalar.
Catelyn literally burst into fla for a second before calming down again, Rhyvor. Good. Not the worst. They are alive where are they? What are they doing?
Stuck in a dungeon until I clear out a bunch of triple mark undead.
Triple I will not risk helping you. I hope you understand. Catelyn said.
Ilea raised her eyebrows, Well I intend to kill them myself anyway.
Soon you will be able to et such a challenge, Im sure. Even I could try but without help. It would be dangerous. Impossible depending on the nature of those beings. How did you make contact?
I can get you in. As long as you have a teleportation ability but I think you just used it before. Ilea replied.
I did.
Good. I promised maps of the area as well as books. Can you get that before we go?
The fox smirked, walking around her again, Ilea child of ash. We rarely write things down. My mind is the best they could hope for. To learn about the north. When would you like to leave?
Soon, later today I guess. Thought to et Goliath quickly. Anything else of note going on? Feynor are apparently on the move, whatever that ans. Ilea said.
The fox made an irritated noise, Ignorant creatures. Without the Dark Protector they would have attacked long ago Im sure.
What are they exactly and why would they attack Hallowfort? Ilea asked. Other than Goliath she had little reason to care about the town. Most of the inhabitants were competent fighters, not comparable to a human city.
Their physiology is similar to lizardn with so important differences. The problem they pose is their almost fanatic belief of their own purity.
Ilea sighed, They attack and kill anybody that isnt one of them?
Basically. Usually they stay further north, keep to their rituals and worship. I dont know what roused them but in the past thirty years they have been more and more active in these parts as well as further east and southwards. The fox explained, Well it should not be an issue. This town is well defended.
By you? Ilea smirked, the fox doing the sa.
Precisely. Not just human. Hallowfort is old, many of its inhabitants have lived here for hundreds if not more years. It is an oasis amidst the chaotic and dangerous lands of the north. The only reason they would strike is for misplaced notions of grandeur and pride. That is why Im worried. Both sides would lose people. The dungeons take enough already. She sighed and appeared on the table again, stretching and resting her head on her paws.
Should you co across a war band, the town will pay you for information as well as your help in defending it, should anything co to pass. They will attack you one way or the other. Humans they hate most, next to dwarves and elves.
Of course they do. Ilea was pretty sure their ancestors must have done sothing pretty vile to cause all of this. Or the creatures were just hateful and aggressive by nature or culture. Ill keep my eyes open. She said, So the Dark Protector, lord of edge, is forming an army to fight them?
That is an interesting title they do own a lot of sharp swords perhaps fitting. She replied, You are mistaken. The Dark Protector ford its army a hundred years ago. The war against the Feynor as well as clearance of dungeons to make living space for us dark ones has been going on for many decades.
Weird coincidence that the Feynor start looking south as soon as the dark army starts their war. Ilea said.
Perhaps. It is certainly part of the reason but not all. There are many groups involved, influential beings both dark ones and friends of the Feynor. Dwarves supplying steel and even humans I suspect. A war among other species it is a profitable endeavor.
Ilea nodded, Any war is. Good to know I shouldnt get involved. Whats your stake in all that?
My place is here. Hallowfort is one of the few places not torn apart by this conflict and I intend to keep it that way. Let them have their war. As soon as it ends there will be another. Perhaps the undead rise and fight the Taleen. Hallowfort will stand nonetheless.
Youre pretty confident in all this. The Taleen are focused on elven lands anyway, as far as I hear. Ilea said, trying to get another angle on the story both Elfie and Neiphato had told.
The fox looked surprised, It is true. A grueso battle. Yet I fear what would happen should one side prevail.
No further info but at least she agrees.
To speak of more mundane things, an expedition is forming. Application can be done in the Abyss. I believe you have been there before. To delve into the Descent, to the fifth layer and beyond. Perhaps you might be interested.
She smiled, Thanks for the tip but I dont have a good track record with expeditions. I think Ill pass on this one.
Your decision. At least I hope more will return this ti.
How co there are still people around if so many die up here all the ti? Ilea asked with interest. Hallowfort was by no ans deserted but it was a rough environnt.
The fox smirked, That is precisely what makes this town so unique human of ash. A sanctuary if you will. For those sick of wars. Exiles, veterans or simply beings such as yourself. Adventurers I believe you call them. Explorers perhaps, pioneers.
Ilea could feel the pride in her words. It reminded her of how Sulivhaan and Dagon talked about the Hand. They were the new elders now, at least until the lost ones showed up again. She didnt dislike the sentint, nor Hallowfort itself. Perhaps it was to the people of the north what Ravenhall was to the human plains. Sovereignty through power. The ultimate adventurers hub with just a little more freedoms and hopefully lack of prejudice than most other places. Ilea was sure Ravenhall wouldnt fall, not against Baralia nor against the empire. Hallowfort though, she wasnt so sure but looking into the near red eyes of the fox in front of her, she knew the battle for it would be vicious. Not a thing to miss. She thought, smirking.
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