Adventure Awaits

You made yourself comfortable at The Painted Lady, a tavern in Paude commonly associated with the Pathfinder Society, the world’s largest and most successful organization of adventurers and mercenaries. You didn’t count yourself among them and didn’t seek to change that. Having left home for it being too violent, joining a group that fully expected each of its members to be equipped and skilled to fight and, when necessary, kill, felt like a betrayal and an untenable idea. Yet, you needed to have some form of an adventure, and you were excited at the prospect. You didn’t know where to start; since fleeing home, you haven’t left Comachavet and had too limited an understanding of the outside world.

With that, you’d hoped that you could find a friendly face to join you, or at least to give you inspiration. It had been a dull, quiet afternoon, none of the other patrons entering being those you knew as being adventurers. You’d worked through an ale already, about to give up and try another day, before you finally recognized a friendly face. Xandravash, the Elf dandy you’d seen before and who was the second voice of the audition. You felt intimidated and bashful to speak to him, fearing yourself beneath him. Having recognized you, granting you a smile and a wave, he took the matter out of your hands as he procured a small bottle of wine and joined you.

“Margot, isn’t it?” He asked “You performed exceptionally well the other day.”

“Thank you, sir” You replied as you bowed your head slightly forward “Chesale is a great teacher. I owe it all to him.”

His eyes rose gently as he took a drink. “Really? I didn’t know that your mentor was also one of the voices for your grading.”

You felt a sudden flush of your face, surprised that this wasn’t already known and fearing you may have sabotaged yourself. “Would that have changed your thoughts?”

His smile was gentle and comforting “Not in the slightest, no. That you were able to become so skilled so fast, and clearly showed the passion to continue, it was a clear choice, for all three of us.”

“That’s good,” you breathed a slight sigh of relief “I’d also to like say thank you for speaking up for me before hand. That was very kind and unexpected.”

“Why wouldn’t you expect it?” He asked, his head shifted slightly. You felt uneasy again, finding this Elf shifty and hard to read.

“Well, shall we go back to antiquity itself?” You scoffed at the question “I’ll need to order myself another drink; I’ll finish it before we go through the entire story between Elves and Drow. Maybe your history was less limited than mine, but I’m not aware of a day of our existence where there was peace.”

“And yet you are clearly not like most Drow, but did not seem to think that others would also be different.”

“No, I guess not,” You had no choice but to concede the point, an uncomfortable pause as you found no other words.

“Professional advice, avoid taking the shortcut of trying to understand someone just because of the traits you observe. There may be some times where a snap judgement in a moment of peril can save your ass, but in our day to day lives, it only gets us into trouble. Plus, at least for me, the world belongs only to the living.”

“What does that mean?” You asked, intrigued.

“The short version? That your grandmother fought my father in the war means nothing. You did nothing to do me, or to anyone else in this city, so you shouldn’t be treated any worse, or better, than anyone else. We should learn from the past, even be inspired by it if we’re lucky, but we can’t be shackled by it.”

It was a stark and immediate contrast to how you grew up, a society deeply ingrained in learning it’s history and the length of wrongs committed that must be avenged. “I see. I imagine some of the other Bards don’t agree.”

“Makes it all the better than that I’m not a Bard.” He smiled as he took a drink.

“What?” You asked out of confusion “But, you were a part of the audition process. How did you have a seat if you’re not one of us? If you’re not a Bard, than who, or rather what, are you?”

“Call it an outside opinion, if you will,” Xandravash began “I have my own knack for theatricality and panache. My instrument just happens to be my sword, though I’ve been known to carry a shanty or two in my time. I was asked to help teach Bard’s how to fight well, as many have even less time with a sword than you do. I agreed to the position, so long as I would have a say in who would be taught.”

“That’s a bit of an odd request,” you opined, feeling comfortable enough to speak your mind. “There a particular reason for it?”

“I’m still working, which means I may be out there one day working alongside the folks coming out of this place, and I want to ensure that they’re able to do the job. And, as you may have guessed from the conversation with that stuck up lady earlier, that their hearts are in it. If people want to come here just to say that they’re a Bard, they don’t belong here. You want that title, that reputation, you need to do the work,” He took a slight pause, leaning his head towards you “I said that you should be accepted because it was obvious that you were not only willing to do that, but eager for it.”

“Thank you,” You blushed slightly, “On that note, if I’m not overstepping, I was wondering if maybe you could provide some help in that regard.”

“That’s a bit bold, good on you” He rose his cup as he spoke “Fair warning though, I’m the wrong guy to ask if you want it easy. I have a tendency on making things harder so that people learn.”

“I’ll keep that in mind” understanding the fair and firm warning the swashbuckling adventurer gave you “I’m just hoping you could introduce me to a few people, or give some inspiration. Professer Tharwin has tasked me to go on an adventure, and report back what I’ve done and what I’ve learned.”

“Not asking me to take you somewhere?” He asked

“Well, no” You stammered, unsteadily “That would seem to defeat the point. If that were all I were going to do, I could read a book about a place and get the same effect.”

“Well said,” He pointed an index finger at you, before rising to his feet “I had a good feeling about you. You seem to understand implicitly what most others have to be told to their faces. Come, I may be able to help.”

You got up and followed Xandravash out of the Tavern, walking through the streets of ___, he continued his conversation “I can only help you so far, of course. Finding someone to accompany you, I know a few folks. Inspiration, that’s on you. Tell me, what does a young Moonless woman such as yourself feel inspired by?”

“Oooh, just about everything, which is the problem. How do I pick the right one?”

“My mentor in the Pathfinders once told me that if you lack direction, any road will take you there. I’m sure you have something that sticks out.”

“Well, kinda” your head shifting slightly as you thought it out “I know there’s a lot of what I was taught back home that isn’t true, and I’ve been spending a lot of time that I haven’t been using learning to sing and play trying to learn more about the history, the land, the people, and the Gods of the world.”

“Let’s keep pulling that thread” he looked back at you just for a second, “What do you think that’s all about? It sounds like there’s something more going on than just curiosity for it’s own sake.”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t given it much thought”

“Trust your instincts” He suggested “whatever comes to you first is the most likely to be correct.”

“I guess I just want to know what the world is really like. I also have the anxious energy some times, that I need to make up for lost time, see and experience new things. I don’t know if it’s really related, but so often when I sit and reflect on where I am and what I’m doing, I’m so grateful, and I need to show that gratitude.”

“Well, there’s plenty to work with there. You could spend your whole life trying to understand what the world really is. Philosophers, musicians, poets, and plenty others have done so, and I don’t know that anyone can. Any of those things would be perfectly find reasons to go have an adventure. Better than why I got started.”

“Really?” You asked with a humorous tone “What was your first adventure like?”

“I lost a bet” He replied a with an exaggeratedly morose tone, making light of the poor decision “It was a bad time, certainly not the story that folks like you tell and sing for coin. But,” he continued with a shrug “I learned that I enjoyed the danger. After a few tries, I also found my footing and skills. Where most people broke is where I was at my best. The coin and the adulation, that all helped too.”

“And now?” You asked “Is that why you still do it? Fame and wealth?”

“It’s not the noblest reason, but yes. We all need to eat and a place to rest our head, after all. After so long doing this, I don’t really know how to do anything else than this. Can you imagine someone like me as a sharecropper or a dockworker?”

“No, I guess not” You were amused at the notion. You pondered the notion, finding that you yourself would struggle to do so such work.

“Here we are,” Xandravash announced, just outside an impressive and ornately carved oak door. “The Pathfinder’s Guild Hall. Guests aren’t allowed to wander freely, so stay close.”

The Guild Hall was warm and inviting, while also being quite cluttered, a menagerie of the various spoils and honors it’s local members have acquired over the years. The internal structure and organization of this odd, A-shaped hall seemed unusual to you, as though nothing had been planned out in advance to what space was for what purpose. Lead into a quiet study, with a collection of comfortable chairs, desks, and a wall of books and scrolls, there was a large window providing good natural light, there was a solitary soul inside. A human of a lean, tall build, with dark hair, he was deeply focused on his book.

“Dugan?” spoke to his fellow Pathfinder, pulling his attention out of his text.

“Ahh, Xandravash, good to see you. How can I be of service?”

“I’d actually care for you to share the expedition you were telling me about,” He brought you forward, for introductions “This is Margot, a Bard over at the local College. She’s being asked to go out on an adventure, and was saying she wanted to see the world. If you wouldn’t mind some company, perhaps you could share what you had planned?”

The man rose from his seat, placing the book down in the chair to approach you, taking your hand to rise it and kiss it “Charmed, Margot. I am Dugan Gabiny, humble servant of the Gods.”

“Dugan here understates himself. He’s a faithful adherent of Ihstar, and Mastro” That last name caused a tinge of fear to run up your spine. Followers of Mastro, The Eternal Flame, God of the Sun and of Justice, had been some of the most consistent adversaries against your kind. The Watch of the Immortal Flame, a militant extremist group were particularly zealous and unflinching in their pursuit, conflating living without sun as living without Justice. While he seemed to lack the hostility, you still felt ill at ease.

“Xandravash conflates interest with faifulness,” He kindly countered “But enough of this. I think what I’ve planned may exceed what your College has in mind for you, but I would love some pleasant company. Come, this will be easier explained visually.”

Leading you to the large table, Dugan found and unfurled a large map of T’sara. “I plan of taking a pilgrimage of sorts.” He began, moving his finger to the coast of Imestire, near the southeast corner of the Tillanong continent “This is the most eastern point in all of T’sara, meaning it is the first point in the world where we may first see the glory of Mastro’s Light. I intend to start here, on the dawn of New Year’s Day, and over the course of year, transit across T’sara to here,” his finger traced an impromptu path to the far edge “the westernmost point, all the way in Kar-Ashan, the Capital city of Maldubia where we would see the last light of the last day of the year”

You marveled at the map and his plan. You had never seen a detailed map of the whole world before, this granting you for the first time a sense of everything it held.

“It’s an ambitious plan” Xandravash remarked “To across the entire world in the span of a year, you’d have to be making quick time. Even if you moved in a straight line, you’re talking almost twenty thousand miles”

“So you’ve said, and I’m aware. I’m not worried, if it takes longer, so be it. I would still like to make the effort. I don’t believe that anyone has yet made such a journey, and what a story it should make on it’s completion.”

“Indeed,” Xandravash agreed “and a Bard would be a great means to share in it.” He turned to you “you’d be on a veritable journey like Fellana Whisperwind.”

“Who?” You asked, unfamiliar with the name

“Pay him no mind,” Dugan had a humored smile as he dismissed it “a collection of tales of a Drow wizard who trotted the world in various adventures.”

“They’re good stories, but that’s for another day.”

“Right you are. If you choose to accompany me, I’ll be leaving soon in order to reach the shores of Imestire by new years. The offer stands, but not for long”

“Thank you for your time, and your offer” You made a slight bow as you departed with your guide, finding another Pathfinder in the midst. A young elf woman, roughly equal in your age, her blonde hair cut dramatically short, eating a surprising amount of food for her small frame in the central dining hall. He rose from her seat the moment the two of you entered the room, jogging closer to the senior elf before giving a hug.

“Margot,” He began as he turned the younger elf towards you “This is Nedra. She’s my niece, and something of a prodigy, she had an experiment was looking into.”

“Oh, it’s nothing really, it’s not even an experiment, it’s exploratory. I’m hoping to looking into some ancient legends, that may explain how we got to where we are here in Comachavet, and even across the continent.”

“Do you think you could use any help in that matter?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind some eye strain pouring through old libraries or walking through dark, dank old ruins.”

“Sounds fine to me. Never been bothered by the dark.”

“No, of course not” She giggle slightly “Sorry, that stupid of me. I’m looking to find out who ruled this lands first, before the Maiden Queen conquered them and the Admiralty later revolted.”

Your eyes rose in a slight surprise “And, you think you have answers?”

She shrugged “I have a start. If it were easy, I’m sure someone else far smarter than I would have already figured it out. But, we have to start somewhere, right?”

“Yes, of course,” You agreed quietly. Internally, you were speculating of just how far back she was speaking, and of what it could mean. There was a short time where Drow had lived above ground like the rest of the Children of the Six Sisters. You’d have no reason to suspect it to be the case, but your mind drifted at what it would mean if you could find such a place where your ancestors once resided, before their perpetual war.

“Excuse me, my dear” Xandravash bid his niece “allow me a little more time, and you and I can catch up later this evening. I just need to introduce this charming woman to one more person.”

“Bye” Nedra called as she waved farewell, before returning to her heavy plate of food.

“You sure know quite a few folks” You remarked as you were being led out in a new direction.

“Nedra likes to joke that I know everyone. You become a Pathfinder one day, it’ll happen to you too, eventually. Charming, pretty young thing who lives for centuries, it’ll seem like you’re everyone’s aunt.”

The Elf had actually walked you through the Hall to the exterior perimeter, into a rear courtyard, containing a number of dummies, targets, and practice weapons for the martially inclined to hone their skills. It was occupied solely by an orc woman, in the middle of her years as a young adult, throwing axes at a target, hitting with considerable accuracy and force. The short, loud shouts she made with each throw added to the impressive and intimidating display, fearing yourself on the other end of things. As the last of her set were thrown, each embedded deep in the target, she turned around to acknowledge your presence.

“Droz, just where I was hoping you’d be.” He greeted loudly, as the two approached to share a firm handshake

“Have to stay sharp” She commented “Nothing else to do here.”

“Well, If you’re still getting stir crazy, I have good news for you.” He brought you forward “This is a friend of mind. Margot Mellekin. She’s a Bard, looking to have a bit of an adventure herself. Doesn’t quite know how or where to get started. Wants to see how the world works”

She was the most indifferent of those you’ve met today, still practicing as she talked “I’d heard that there was Drow drifting around Paude. Surprised I haven’t seen you around until now.” Having carefully aimed her throw, the next one went dead center “Have you been getting a lot of trouble for that, in a place like this?”

“Surprisingly, no” You recalled the early memories “It was rough at first, sure. As people got used to seeing a Drow in town not doing anything other than going to learn how to sing and perform, I think they got used to it. At least, they stopped yelling and throwing things.”

“Well, if you’re interested, we could go cause trouble together. Drow and Orc, traveling together as freelance mercenaries in a foreign land. If you don’t mind the badgering, I know a few places where you and I could find some consistent work, make some good coin. If we’re lucky, find some of the real villains of the world and help them pay a visit to Dineth The Destroyer”

“You don’t seem to be the type to do things by half measures” You commented “This sounds like it could be dangerous”

“That’s because it could be” She put her weapons down, finally giving you her full attention. “Bad as you think it could be, I’d actually be worse left to my own devices. I need someone around me who knows how to get me to stop. I get the feeling like I can at least trust you with that much, and that I won’t need to hold your hand through things.”

“Thank you,” You were unsure about Droz, but could still manage your manners. She was an intense individual, and at least up front, she was the most dangerous of the three. On the other hand, it was the best opportunity to see what being a Pathfinder was like. “It’s a lot to think about, I hope you don’t mind me needing some time to consider it.”

“That’s what I’m hoping for.” She touched her temple “Someone who thinks through things, does it well enough for both of us. You’ll know where to find me.”

With that, You were lead out of the Guild Hall, stopped out of the front door by Xandravash “Like you said to Droz, I’m sure there’s a lot on your mind. All three are great people who will have your back, I promise you that. Go home, get some rest, dwell on it. Come on by when you’ve made your decision. Maybe tell Tharwin what you’re thinking if you want an extra opinion.”

“Well, what do you think?”

“You’ve asked enough of me already, Margot. You have everything you need to make the decision, just take the time. Now, if you don’t mind, this is where I’ll say farewell. I do hope the absolute best, whatever your decision may be.” Ever the dramatist, the swashbuckling hero made an exaggerated bow of a farewell as he returned inside the Hall, leaving you with your thoughts as you headed back to your own apartment home.