The morning light filtered through the dense canopy of the Darkwood, casting an eerie glow on the ancient ruins of Eldareth. Justin stirred awake, feeling the chill of dawn and the cool earth beneath him. He glanced around to see Lila already awake, stoking the small campfire. Kargan was still asleep, snoring softly.
For the first time since Silverton, Justin had no level up to process. He got up and stretched, feeling the tension in his muscles from the previous day’s ordeal. The air was crisp, and the silence of the forest was unsettling. Though it was daytime, the dimness was downright eerie.
He moved closer to the fire, where Lila handed him a piece of bread.
“Morning,” she said, her voice low. “We’re getting a little low on supplies, unfortunately.”
“Morning,” Justin replied, taking a bite. “Well, once we get to Windfall, we’ll dine like royalty.” He looked over at Kargan, who was still asleep. “We should wake him up.”
As if on cue, Kargan stirred, blinking groggily as he sat up. “Huh?”
“Time to eat,” Justin said, handing him some food. “Hope you like bread. It’s all we’ve got left.”
Kargan nodded, taking the offered meal. “It’s fine.”
As they ate, Kargan was quiet, lost in thought. Justin guessed he was probably choosing his Level 3 skill.
After a few minutes, Kargan’s short tusks stuck out a bit in what Justin assumed was an orcish smile. “New skill,” he announced with pride. “Vital Surge. It lets me use some of my Life Force to heal a party member.”
“That’s great!” Justin exclaimed. “It’ll definitely come in handy if we decide to explore the city.”
“Are we sure that’s wise?” Lila asked. “We’ve had our share of close calls already.”
Before they could discuss it further, a sudden rustling from the trees caught their attention. Justin stood up, his hand instinctively reaching for his cane. From the shadows emerged a figure—half-man, half-horse. It was a centaur with a brown coat, holding a short bow designed for rapid firing, along with a quiver full of arrows at its side. Its pale face, striking and fierce, was framed by a mane of dark hair, and its eyes glowed with anger.
Before Justin could say anything, the centaur was already drawing an arrow and letting it fly. Justin barely had time to react, raising his cane to deflect the projectile.
Gentleman’s Rebuff has shielded this attack!
Lila was already moving, her knives at the ready, while Kargan quickly cast Ward of Aegis. The arrows kept coming, pelting the barrier constantly. It wasn’t long before the ward petered out entirely.
The centaur moved with astonishing speed and precision. Kargan moved quickly to recast the barrier, but in the interim, an arrow flew right toward the group and lodged right into Lila’s shoulder, causing her to scream in pain.
“Get behind me!” Kargan roared, abandoning the creation of his ward, which was taking too long.
As the orc stepped between Lila and the centaur, and Justin moved behind him, Kargan cast Sacrificial Armor, surrounding himself in a blue barrier. Even as arrows were knocked back by his magical shell, Kargan turned to Lila and roared with pain as he cast magic anew. A flash of blue light surrounded her, and the arrow slipped from the wound as the flesh beneath knitted together, leaving nothing but the blood that had stained her shirt. Her eyes widened at the sight.
Kargan’s face was sweating blood, even as he turned to face the centaur, staff in hand. His magical armor was already weakening from the continuous barrage of arrows.
Justin felt worse than useless. There was no way that centaur would let him even get close to attack with his staff.
“I can’t keep this up forever,” Kargan said, his voice strained. “We need to think of something.”
Justin thought of his own skills. Poison Barb might work, but did the centaur even speak the same language as him? Dandy’s Swagger would provide a small morale and confidence boost, but it was questionable how useful that was. There was Dazzling Display, of course, but if Justin used it now, it wouldn’t be available again until tomorrow, and he might need the move for the Vault.
In the end, Justin activated Dandy’s Swagger, strutting forward and twirling his cane. A yellow aura surrounded him, infusing itself into his allies. An unbridled, cocky confidence filled him.
Kargan glanced at him. “What on Eyrth are you doing, Socialite? Now’s not the time for dancing!”
But he’d gotten the centaur’s attention, which had apparently taken the strutting dance as a threat. Justin decided now was the perfect time to lob a Poison Barb. His Charisma was edified to 21 while the centaur had taken a -2 Charisma malus.
“Nice shooting! Did you train with the village idiot, or are you just naturally this bad?”
The centaur apparently understood the message all too well, its cheeks flushing with anger. It began firing only at Justin, who did his best to dance out of the way. Kargan intervened, taking the hits with a newly conjured Sacrificial Armor, and was already casting a new Ward of Aegis. From the orc’s efforts, his Life Force had to be getting low.
“Now, Lila!” Justin shouted.
Lila seized the opportunity, throwing her knives with deadly accuracy. The centaur stumbled, three of her six knives hitting right in its flank, causing it to rear up on its hind legs. It backed away into the trees, and at first, Justin thought it was retreating.
But then, two more centaurs burst from the underbrush—one with a sword and shield, the other with another bow.
“This…is bad,” Justin muttered.
Kargan was panting for breath, the toll of so many spells clearly slowing him down. The new centaurs wasted no time in joining the attack, the sword-wielding one charging toward the outside of the ward while the two archers continued to rain arrows at them. The new ward wouldn’t last much longer.
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Kargan gritted his teeth, already preparing a new ward in anticipation of losing the current one. “I can’t keep this up. We need to retreat into the Vault!”
Just as they were about to make a break for it, a pained scream echoed through the forest. Justin turned to see the archer centaur falter and fall to its knees, an arrow embedded just below its left arm. Two more arrows were buried in its side.
From the trees, Eldrin emerged, bow in hand, his face set in a stern expression. The sight of their friend arriving in the nick of time filled Justin with a surge of relief and hope just as he had never known.
“Eldrin!” Lila shouted.
Eldrin, with practiced precision, quickly shifted his aim to the remaining centaur archer, which was already backing away into the Darkwood. Eldrin fired in rapid succession, bringing the second beast down.
The centaur swordsman, still attacking Kargan’s new Ward of Aegis, suddenly switched tactics and charged at the Ranger. Eldrin had time to shoot another arrow before diving into some underbrush, barely avoiding the creature’s charge.
The Ranger needed help, even if it was only a distraction.
“Now!” Justin yelled.
They ran forward to engage. The centaur, noting it was outnumbered and wounded, cut its losses and fled into the Darkwood, screaming furiously while beating at its shield. Maybe it was calling for reinforcements.
Eldrin watched the centaur’s retreat, not breaking his defensive stance until he was sure it was gone. Then, he put his bow on his back and approached the trio, his eyes noting Kargan’s presence.
“What in the gods’ names are you doing here?” he demanded, though his tone held more relief than anger. “The Darkwood, of all places?”
Justin, still catching his breath, managed a tired smile. “Nice to see you too, Eldrin.”
“They’ll be back with more,” the Ranger said. “I hope that Vault there isn’t too high a level.”
“It was Level 8 last night,” Justin said. “Though we haven’t had the chance to check it this morning. Where did you go?”
Eldrin ignored the question for now. “All of you are lucky to be alive. It’s my fault, I suppose, for not warning you about the Darkwood.”
“I’ll say,” Lila said. “How did you find us so easily?”
“Shadowflight. And you left a trail that would put a drunken elephant to shame.”
“Thanks,” Justin said. “Any news of Gareth?”
Eldrin gave a coy smile. “Let’s just say they won’t be a problem.”
Lila’s eyes widened. “You killed them?”
“No, of course not. I led them south along the Marin. They’ve probably figured it out the ruse by now, and when do they, they’ll probably head for Darkstream Crossing. From there, they’ll have to spread themselves thin trying to figure out where you’re going. Point being, we should be safe to head to Windfall. That’s the closest city of note.”
“That was our plan,” Justin said. “We should’ve gone to Darkstream Crossing instead.”
“Aye, but there’s no use lamenting the path not taken. Our new goal is Windfall, and from there, getting the rest of the way to Mont Elea.”
“That’s what we figured,” Justin said. “Apparently, this city is the fastest way through.”
“Aye,” Eldrin said. “If this Vault is still Level 8, it’s doable for our party. However, without Alistair, we’ll need to be on our toes. I’d take this over the Darkwood and centaur ambushes any day. Nasty, brutish creatures.”
“They’ll be back any moment,” Kargan said.
At this voice, Eldrin regarded him, putting out a hand in greeting. “Eldrin Thornwood.”
“Kargan Durzag,” he said, taking the hand cautiously.
“Clan?”
Kargan was silent. “It’s…complicated.”
“A Blood Warden,” Eldrin said with respect. “That’s quite a rare class.”
“And you’re a Ranger, unless I miss my guess. I’m just here for a time. Until Windfall.”
The sounds of movement and distant war cries from the forest showed their time was pressing.
“About time we entered that Vault,” Justin said. “Mind taking over the Party before we do, Eldrin?”
“Aye. Let’s approach.”
Justin invited Eldrin to the party and mentally offered him the role of Party Leader.
Eldrin has joined the Party and assumed the role of Party Leader.
As they walked toward the Vault, Justin set his focus on Eldrin’s character, noticing that he’d earned a level up and a new skill:
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Name: Eldrin Thornwood
Class: Ranger
Level: 11
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Attributes:
Power: 10
Coordination: 17 (16+1)
Endurance: 12
Intellect: 12
Perception: 10
Charisma: 12 (11+1)
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Skills:
(Class Skill) Ranger’s Intuition: Senses imminent danger and can inspect character classes of equal or lower level, even when not in a Party.
(Level 1) Eagle Sight (Item Upgrade): Boosted accuracy with ranged weapons and heightened observational awareness.
(Level 2) Nature’s Cloak: Enhanced stealth in natural environments.
(Level 3) Animal Bond: Connect deeply with a wild creature, typically a falcon.
(Level 5) Pathfinder’s Pace: Navigate through rough terrain with ease, covering tracks.
(Level 7) Alchemist’s Touch: Amplified potency of crafted potions, antidotes, and poisons.
(Level 10) Guerilla Expertise: Improved first strikes when ambushing, ensuring high accuracy and damage.
(Level 11) Falcon’s Mark: Coordinate with your bonded falcon to ensure a perfectly accurate shot that pierces armor.
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Equipment:
Weapon: Bow of Eagle Sight: +1 boost to Coordination. Upgrades Eagle Eye skill to Eagle Sight, allowing you to see at great distances when aiming.
Clothing: Ranger’s cloak and pants.
Footwear: Boots of Silent Steps: Make no sound when walking, no matter what you find underfoot.
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Justin closed Eldrin’s character sheet. “That Falcon’s Mark looks extremely useful!”
“Haven’t had the chance to test it out yet,” Eldrin said. “I’m sure I will soon.” His eyes turned to the Vault. “Let’s approach.”
Even as the sounds from the forest increased, Kargan cast a new Ward of Aegis, having mostly recovered from his wounds. It would buy them a bit more time to review the Vault description in case arrows came flying at them.
When they were within a few paces of the city’s open gate, Justin received the information.
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Vault Discovered: The Fate of Eldareth
Recommended Party Level: 8
Average Party Level: 6.5
Risk Level: Dangerous! Your party is below the recommended level. Proceed with extreme caution.
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Description: The Ruins of Eldareth, once a flourishing Elvish city renowned for its grand architecture, now lie in desolate ruin. However, the city’s ancient magic endures, offering Adventurers a rare glimpse into a glorious but often forgotten past.
Over two millennia ago, during the twilight of the Age of Wonders, the Elven Kingdom of Ilvaria and the Orcish Confederation were embroiled in a brutal war over the fate of Serenthel. Despite the splendor of the past, it was a dark time for Ilvaria, whose people desperately hungered for peace.
Your party must assume the role of a neutral diplomatic delegation, sent from the Orcish Confederation to negotiate terms of peace. The Vault is only cleared when the peace agreement is accepted by the King and Queen of Ilvaria.
This challenge is not solely political but may also lead to physical confrontations. It demands both sharp intelligence and a capable hand.
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Rewards Upon Completion:
—Experience: Scaled to party member level and individual contribution.
—Guaranteed Bronze-Level Item: For each party member.
—Chance for a Silver-Level Item: For one party member.
—Treasure: One gold crown, to be divided amongst the party.
Do you accept the Vault’s challenge?
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Justin immediately gave his mental assent. With Eldrin leading the party, there was no reason to delay in his mind. Kargan, however, seemed to hesitate.
“It’ll be all right,” Lila said reassuringly. “You’re more than capable.”
Kargan sighed. “No choice, huh?”
“Unless you wish to fight an entire Centaur herd,” Eldrin said.
“No. That, I do not.” A moment later, Kargan nodded.
You have accepted the Challenge of The Ruins of Eldareth. May your courage be your guide and your resolve your shield. Good luck, Brave Adventurers!
Language stack had been added for the duration of this Vault: Ancient Ilvari.
With that, the party entered under the broken gates of the city as one.