On the fringes of Cetherland, Close to the frontier of growth yet within the development of the city. In the household of the Kinner family Lloyd Kinner awakes on the day of his 16th birthday. Standing before a makeshift bed of branches and leaves on a lumber frame, is a Half spirit Wood elemental. Standing at a height of 5 '6'' and having a lithe humanoid figure Lloyd hurriedly rushes through his morning routine. Quickly dressing in a woven shirt of thin leaf fiber and living wood. Placing drops of morning dew across his head and sternum allowing the nutrient rich water to seep into his body, slowly dripping through his hair made of branches and twigs and feeding into the core of his body the life giving essence permeating his core slowly flowing along the grooves of his vital organ. Finishing as quickly and thoroughly as he can Lloyd wipes down his body, with an intense look and steady hand, begins to dry his elemental core. A fist sized gnarled orb of wood covered in intricate spirals and knots in which his very life flows. Having finished with a look of elation he looks forward to today the day he paves his own road while he rushes to the table for a quick breakfast.
“Have you finished your plans yet?” Asked Ryan Kinner, the father of the family, while eating his breakfast. The man is a large Wooden Half-Spirit standing 6 '7'’ appearing humanlike, skin hardening into a bark like texture around his face and with the ends of his extremities changing into wooden forms with clawed hands and feet made of bark and wood. Unlike his son Ryan does not have a core due to his lineage.
“Yea, I’m going to meet up with Johnnathan at the edge of Cetherland and look for some simple resources to add to my world at first.” Lloyd Kinner responded quickly while sitting across from his father.
“Just be careful, ok? Send cards or visit often, it’s going to be a little lonely without you here.” Jasmine Kinner added while staring at her two favorite men. Jasmine is a wood nymph standing at 4 '4'’, large for their species, with an ethereal beauty and shimmering wings far too small for her body. The woman has what appears to be a semi solid form, in which rather than a full solid being like her husband she takes a more ghostly form appearing translucent.
“I will, don’t worry.” Lloyd sighed. “I’ll be having difficulties too without someone else cooking for me.” he added with a smirk.
“Don’t be a brat on your last day here!” His father responded with false anger. “Just make sure you don’t try anything too stupid, only try for something if you’re at least seventy percent confident” a small smile forming on his grainy face.
With a sudden movement Lloyd’s mother embraces him in a large hug. “Be safe, really. I love you” she lets out while nearly crying.
“I love you mom” A large smile plastered across Lloyd’s face. “I got to go though, I don't know how much resources I’m losing just talking.” Breaking the hug, Lloyd quickly calls out while rushing the door and taking a large bag he has prepared. Lifting the bulk onto his back Lloyd looks back at his parents one last time before he departs on his journey. “See you when I’m stronger than you!” He flashes a large smile directed at his dad as he bolts through the door.
Watching the departing child, now an adult, leave their family home both mother and father have their own separate thoughts in which direction their sapling will grow. Ryan, hoping for the best yet knowing his son well, envisioned the small half spirit making mistakes and slowly reflecting on his path, eventually towering above those around him like an ancient tree in the middle of a new forest. Jasmine, having nearly blind hope and love for her son, saw the sapling overtake the clouds and pierce the sky making a name throughout history.
Leaving his home Lloyd’s figure is not unique compared to those around him. Upon leaving the door a somewhat developed suburb is shown with houses made of wood and stone rather than brick and mortar, but still appearing of solid construction with enough room for any family. Due to each occupant being unique the sizes of the houses vary as well as the style of construction, each being made to support their residents. Lloyd’s home being made purely of wood logs with only a log cabin frame built into the ground itself with leafage making up the roof instead of thatch or tiles, a tale tells sign of his elemental heritage. The roads flooded with people around, many with pets they domesticated through great effort as some such creatures have fearsome origins. Rushing past the different homes and citizens of Cetherland the density of the houses slowly diminishes until the packed dirt roads blend into lush grass and growing underbrush. The fringe of Cetherland disappearing as the Frontier of Growth becomes apparent, there waiting at the last stretch of road stands one of Lloyd’s friends, Johnnathan Gur Landurlin. The Drake-spawn of towering stature. Standing near 10’ feet tall, with shoulders to match, the giant lizard appears as a large scaled reptile with a small hunch in his upper back. Johnnathan has a somewhat sleek appearance until you look towards his head. Unlike the scales on the rest of his body Johnnthans head spouts different sections of scales, his brow being covered in slightly protruding scales resembling scutes, while his lower jaw is covered in similar scales they appear thinner greatly resembling the whiskers of a catfish while being thicker at the base. The bored looking Lizard greets his friend.
“Took your ass long enough” The drake-spawn grinned flashing his fangs through his reptilian snout. “Come on, I got a lead on some resources in the area from dad.”
“What did you give to the miser?” Lloyd asked with an incredulous look on his face.
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“Didn’t get my allowance for the past few months for this so you better be gracious.” Johnnathan said furrowing his brow. “Let’s not waste too much time Cheyenne decided to join us, and I want to get there before she gets here.” He says while gesturing into the Frontier.
As if eavesdropping nearby waiting for her name another large figure treads into both of their visions. Standing close to Johnnathan’s own astounding height a female Troll standing at 9 '3'’ greets with a large smile cracking her stoney skin. Having shoulders wider than the Drake-spawn and an overall stockier build the troll is menacing. For conventional standards Cheyenne is not a beauty, having a round face being closer to a ball than a normal skull and a large nose and wide mouth a give away for her heritage, she is viewed greatly within the Troll-spawn and Giant-kin ancestory.
“Hey, you assholes, I’m smarter than you are you overgrown newt, you think I wouldn’t know about you trying to get a leg up on me?” Troll rumbles out in a baritone voice that somehow retains its feminine origin.
“Shut up you stone muncher! I told you not to call me that!” Responds, a furious Drake-spawn. “If both of you are ready, let's go.” Waving his hand as he turns, Johnnathan begins his jog.
“We’ve got a bit of a walk so as we go, we can discuss the talents we got today and iron out some plans.” With the stark contrast in size between the three figures Lloyd hurries to catch the two.
“I got a pretty good one for early growth,” says Lloyd. “It’s a supportive type called “True Bond” it makes any bond stronger; I think it applies to all things like colonies or pacts and such instead of physical bonds, so starting off my animals will work better together” The elemental spirit pants as he tries to carry a conversation while running like his life depends on it to catch up to the two giants own strides.
“That sounds like a great one for smaller creatures like insects or pact animals” Cheyenne responds while lowering down her stance to pick up Lloyd. “Hold still, don’t want you too tired before we even begin." A teasing smile appeared.
“I got a nice one if I can get a creature early on it’s called “Giants Blood” My creatures will continue to grow in size and strength in age slowing the aging process and instead of being weaker at the end of their life creatures are stronger.” Cheyenne says
“Of course you would get the best one.” complains Johnnathan “I got a defensive oriented one called “Density of flesh of bone” ignore the name all it does is make all creatures in my world denser so skin and hide are tougher and bones don’t break easily, on the other hand I don’t think I’m going to get any fliers or swimmers unless they are seriously stout.” The dragon bemoans his luck. Letting the full force of his jealousy show towards his other friend.
“I think it’ll be pretty strong John, just think of it as a strong foundation” Lloyd adds, ever the optimist.
“Don’t shorten my name it hurts what little pride I have” shoots back retorting towards the small spirit while accepting the encouragement. “Hopefully these little ones we’re going to help me.”
“Little ones?” The troll asks
“Yea I got a lead from my father about some resources. There's supposed to be some untapped Nodes in a little spot that’s hard to find.” Johnnathan says finally starting to explain their destination and what lay in wait. “And before you ask, they’re so hidden I doubt they were taken already” He adds with a grin.
“Uh-huh” “Suuurre” Both Lloyd and Cheyenne are extremely skeptical, taking the dragon's history of boasts into question.
“Stop that! It’s true this time you two freeloaders!” Johnnathan ads in anger at the point out “Wait and see”
After a few hours of their trek through the surrounding forest, dodging thorn bushes and creeping ivy vines along with the stray animal forced from the deeper parts of the Frontier, The trio stop before a towering white oak, one which seems long dead standing upon its decaying foundations.
The tree itself was large, extremely so, being large enough that if all three were to touch fingers around the trunk they would still have a third of the trunk left barren. Johnnathan sensing the skeptical looks piercing his back, the Drake-spawn didn’t elaborate and kicked the dead tree with an astounding force. Wind rushing from the force of his kick picking up the leaves and grass surrounding the trio. With a large crash echoing through the forest surrounding them a gaping hole appears within the trunk of the tree with a series of steps leading down, each step made of dried white wood. Without waiting for the response of the two behind him Johnnathan starts his descent down with Cheyenne and Lloyd following close behind. A flash of worry crosses Lloyd’s mind about the total weight of the three breaking the stairs, but the fear was unfounded as each step held resolutely the total weight of the two giants and the handbag between the two.
Upon reaching the last step of the hidden stairwell a preserved terrarium hidden from the world appears before the three. With small mammals and insects being numerous in the area and the flora growing to create an astounding sight. A multitude of vines and hanging lichen, some with berries growing upon them, create a beautiful curtain of foliage with smaller ferns and bushes making the underbrush seem teeming with variety. The walls of the little cave hidden beneath the tree covered in moss and holes allowing for land dwelling fauna to create homes for themselves with moles and anoles scurrying across from the openings. Occasionally a small fox and snake will cross ahead of the trio, being quickly scared away by the sheer mass of the two heavy hitters. Coming upon a small opening with a decayed and broken tree stump in the middle of the clearing the leading dragon finally turns around.
“Take your pick. There should be a few resources here and once we clear it, I was thinking of using this area as a temporary dwelling to create a solid foundation for us before continuing.” Looking upon his two friends Johnnathan waits for their opinion before scurrying off to get resources.
“I like the idea” Lloyd adds, visibly giddy with the sheer volume of plant life around him.
“I think it's smart, it doesn’t seem like any larger creature will be down here so we should be safe, but we need to keep an eye on the entrance” Cheyenne adds keeping the two morons grounded. “Let's spread out and search and see what we can find, let’s come back here when we can’t find anything more.” With that the three nod and each spread out in different directions from where they came from looking for the actual resources they can use.