Two days after they had left Orlane, the party came across a small caravan of traders near the end of the day. Both groups ended up setting up camp near each other.

The traders were friendly enough, letting the group take a peek through their goods for anything good. The girls picked out a couple novelties with their money, while Sylvester and Neil picked out some new robes. Kurt and Karrank didn’t find anything of interest, though they did have some fun swapping stories with one of the caravan guards.

A few days later they came across another group of traders, but they just had a piecemeal wagon piled high with junk. The party wasn’t running low on any supplies and turned down their offers to look through the pile.

That same day, the party stopped to rest at a small lake. It was pleasantly shaded and was an ideal spot to stop for lunch. As they were setting up, however, they heard rustling from the brush around them. Stepping out of the brush were several elves all pointing weapons at the party.

“Halt, interlopers!” The leader shouted glaring at them.

Everyone stopped preparing camp and stood upright.

“Hey now, no need to be so hostile.” Kurt spoke while moving in front of Kirsten, Jennan, and Molli.

“You desecrate a sacred space.!” One of the other elves helpfully informed them, venom in their voice.

“We are sorry, we did not realize this was such a place,” Sylvester spoke up, trying to pacify the situation.

The leader elf stared Sylvester down for several tense seconds before lowering his weapon and signaling for the others to do the same. They didn’t entirely relax and still looked ready to attack at the drop of a hat, but even they realized it would be a tough battle. Sure the group had four non-combatants, but it also had four seasoned looking ones and a pet basilisk to boot.

“Then leave. Now,” The leader ordered. “And remember that we shall not be so kind in the future.”

“Okay.” Sylvester nodded and motioned for everyone to pack everything back up. They didn’t have much, and quickly were back in their wagons under the watchful eyes of the elves. They were escorted back to the road, the elves stayed to watch them leave from sight.

Thankfully, after that rude interruption, the rest of the journey to Dolmvay was peaceful. They were approaching the city from the north, and it was quite a sight when they finally arrived late in the morning. The road was now paved and a steady stream of people approaching and leaving the city could be seen.

The city’s walls were tall and well kept, with guards patrolling at their tops. The Traveler’s Gate let them into the city itself, with the group finding themselves within the River District. The buildings around them were aged stone, with some of it crumbling and supported by wooden scaffolding. Despite this poor state, the district was bustling with activity. Small impromptu markets were set up in many of the local squares and the streets were filled with travelers, citizens, and street performers.

“This is a lot more cramped than the city looked from outside.” Kurt complained.

“Well, we are in one of the poorer areas,” Karrank pointed out. “Those tend to be more cramped.”

“You boys not used to the feel of the big city?” Molli teased them.

“Believe it or not, we actually came from a pretty big town, but it really isn’t comparable to this.” Karrank explained, trying to shake off the feeling of whiplash from going from open road to packed city.

“Well, we have about a day ahead of us,” Val smiled. “So, what is our intrepid leader’s plan?”

“First we need a place to stay,” Sylvester announced.

“Well, I hope you know a place because we haven’t actually been here before.” Kirsten cautioned.

“I do,” Sylvester smiled. “We are looking for a local inn known as The Muddy Cloak. It is of decent quality, but I only know it to be somewhere within this district.”

“A goal is nice, but directions would be nice too.” Kurt complained while continuing to drive the leading wagon.

“Here, give me a sec.” Karrank stated, hopping off the wagon and making his way over to a street performer. He talked with the man for a few moments, but it didn’t seem to go well. He tossed over a few silver coins and chatted some more. This still didn’t go well, but after some more coins and more arguing Karrank made his way back to the wagon.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“That didn’t look like it went over very well.” Molli worried.

“It didn’t,” Karrank growled. “That ASS was less than helpful and had some opinions about me that were expensive to overcome.”

“Yeah, this city is not the best place to live for magic users or demi-humans.” Sylvester admitted. “The church doesn’t officially prohibit them, but they don’t tend to approve either.”

“This is going go to be a fun place to stay then.” Neil darkly muttered.

“Did you at least get the directions we need?” Kurt redirected the conversation.

“Yeah, I got them,” Karrank sighed before beginning to relay the directions.

“So, what is our plan after getting some rooms at the inn?” Molli tried to get some light conversation going again.

“We need to go to the Dolmvay Adventurer’s Guild to register. They will handle selling all of our stuff for us and can provide us with some jobs.”

“Is that really necessary? We have already done quite a bit without being a member.”

“Well, this is the largest city in the Kingdom. It’s a good place to gather information about the prophecy and to get information about what dungeons are in the area.”

“Don’t you already know that, like everything else?”

“I know what is in dungeons, and I usually know what their surrounding terrain is like too, but that doesn’t tell me where they are.”

“I see.”

Before the conversation could continue, the group finally found themselves at the inn. Sylvester went inside to secure rooms and stable room, which ended up costing 25 silver pieces per night. It was expensive but necessary until a more permanent arrangement was found, so Sylvester paid for two nights with a silver slate.

Everyone quickly moved into their temporary accommodations and gladly changed out of their travelling clothes. Sylvester dressed in robes that make him look more like a proper priest or monk, which confused the others.

“Why are you getting all dressed up like that?” Kurt asked, used to seeing Sylvester in a shirt and pants most of the time.

“Just a precaution,” Sylvester assured him. “But in and around the city I am going to avoid showing my capabilities. I’ll still be the patron and spiritual leader of the group, but I won’t be a combatant.”

“Is that really necessary?” Neil asked worriedly.

“It’s a long-term plan that hopefully never needs to get used, since it will only work once.” Sylvester explained without actually going into any details.

“Whoever picks a fight with you is going to be in for a nasty surprise then.” Karrank snorted.

“That’s the idea.” Sylvester stated while adjusting his robes.

Soon enough everyone had settled in and Sylvester led Kurt, Karrank, Neil, and Molli to the river that cut through the city. There, he hired a boatman to ferry them to the Isle of Heroes which was the home of the Adventuring Guild.

The docks at the island had a small stream of small boats entering and leaving, as adventurers and patrons alike went about their business. The island was filled with hills and forest, but also had an enormous keep that filled half of it.

The gates were wide open, and Sylvester led them past an enormous bathhouse and field to the Hall of Heroes. It was a large building, made from stone and decorated with intricate carvings and colorful banners. Inside, it was richly decorated with trophies and paintings meant to laud the accomplishments of past adventurers.

They were soon directed to a small meeting room where a secretary met with them. He was a bulky man with a thick beard who wouldn’t have looked out of place in a tribe of barbarians.

“Hello, my name is Sergio. I will be working with you all today,” He spoke in a deep, but clear voice. “What can I help you with?”

“A couple matters, but first we would like to register as adventurers. I and these three will be journeyman and we would like to take her on as an apprentice.” Sylvester answered.

“I see, well this is slightly unusual,” Sergio admitted. “The foremost issue is a matter of ability. We simply can’t let inexperienced folk become journeyman.”

“We are experienced. We slew a spellcaster who had been charming an entire village. The other reason we have come is to sell the spoils we claimed from their lair.” Sylvester countered while downplaying the danger that they had overcome in Orlane.

“I see, I assume that is what you have brought in that chest?”

“It is.” Kurt answered while pulling it open to reveal the jewelry and coins.

“Well, in that case I have enough leeway to allow you four to promote directly to journeymen. Do you have the fees prepared or should it be taken from the recovered treasure?” Sergio quickly pulled out some forms from his satchel and began filling them out.

“I have prepared it separately. 10 silver for each registration and another 10 for each promotion. 90 silver pieces total, which I have here as 9 gold pieces.” Sylvester counted out the gleaming coins while the others sucked in a cold breath. They knew there were going to be fees, but the amount of money Sylvester was paying was not small.

“All accounted for. If you will excuse me for a moment, I will call one of our appraisers and return to finish your registration.” Sergio claimed the coins and stepped out of the room.

“Are you sure this is worth it Sylvester?” Karrank asked, already missing the coins he had paid. “I am sure they will want further dues as well.”

“I know they will,” Sylvester nodded. “But at the very least we need to avoid being arrested for dodging the guild. Besides, it will also point us toward a number of jobs and help us form connections in the city.”

Sergio quickly reentered the room, followed by an older woman with spectacles and a few appraisal tools.

“This is Ms. Martha; she will appraise your treasure while I finish registering you. She will automatically deduct the guild dues if you elect to accept her appraisal.” Sergio explained before taking a seat.

“Now, I first need your names, as well as an explanation of each of your specialties and capabilities.”

“My name is Kurt Trimble, and I work as a melee fighter. I have a sword but am also skilled at unarmed combat.”

“I am Karrank. I am excellent at stealth, disabling traps, and have some capabilities with brute strength as well.”

“My name is Neil, and I am a wizard. My spell selection is a bit limited at the moment, but it is functional.”

“What level of spells are you able to cast?” Sergio interrupted, asking Neil for some clarification.

“Ah, right. I can cast up to third level spells.” Neil explained sheepishly.

“Really! That nearly puts you at the level of a Master Adventurer!” Sergio exclaimed before regaining his calm. “And you two?”

“I am Molli Purser, with no real specialty at the moment. I am handy with a dagger and can sing pretty well, but that’s it.”

“I am Sylvester Bayes, and I have been working as the patron and spiritual guide of the party.”

“I see, are you a priest?”

“In a fashion, I don’t follow the church or any gods.”

“Hmm. I see. Are you blessed? Can you use Miracles?”

“We have primarily been relying on a warded amulet.” Sylvester truthfully dodged the question.

“Very well. In that case each of you is registered,” Sergio finished off forms for each of them and set them down to dry. “However, since you all came in together, I assume you would like to form an adventuring company?”

“That would be ideal.” Sylvester nodded. The others, however, silently groaned at the thought of having to do more paperwork.

“I will just register you five to the company for now, and if you want to add others you can do so later. Do you have a name for the company?”

“The Silver Lanterns.” Sylvester quickly answered. He had spent quite a bit of time thinking about the group’s name on the way to Dolmvay. This one included both his role in the prophecy he had received, but also highlighted the groups slightly ridiculous amount of silver and magical weapons.

“Alright, any specialties you would like to note at the moment?”

“We excel at dungeon exploration and mapping and have several silver or magical weapons.”

“Hm, an impressive claim, though it may field you requests that are significantly more dangerous,” Sergio warned.

“That is fine,” Sylvester insisted.