Adventure Begins!

You follow Dramora once the assembly is open, it’s not exactly easy to look an 8 foot tall adonis in the crowd, eventually you find your way to the western edge of the academy, peering over the edge you can see an endless abyss of inky blackness.

Across the gap floats an island somewhat similar to academy with the exception that it’s been grown over with foliage, large trees blanket the island and wild bushes surround them.

You turn to Dramora once your recon is over. “How are we going to get over there…?” And more importantly how will you get back?

She’s quiet for a moment, examining the gap between the island before turning to you saying “I am going to throw you”

“Wh… you what..?! I don’t think that’s going to work…” you say taking a cautious step back from the edge.

It doesn’t sound like it’s up for debate as she starts walking over to you. “Fear not small one, your little body will be able to make the gap”

With a sigh you try to focus on the floppy wizard hat you’re gonna buy after this adventure is over as she approaches.

She places a hand under your ass and another hand on your chest, you give a surprised squeak as she lifts you off the ground, holding you like a spear.

She approaches the gap, rears back and lets loose, sending you flying face first over the gap.

On the bright side, you make the trip, however you do land on your face, which does not feel great.

You pull yourself to your feet when you realize she is still on the other side, she can’t very well throw herself can she?

She takes several steps back before charging to the ledge, she jumps and to your shock her boots touch the dirt a few feet from your own.

“Wh…. Why didn’t you do that while you were carrying me?” You say looking up at her, eyes narrowed.

She merely shrugs saying “I could have, but I wanted to throw you instead” surprisingly this doesn’t make you any less upset.

She pulls her sword from her hip, a massive great sword about as long as you are tall, along it are etched runic symbols, no doubt revealing its enchanted but you don’t know enough about runes to ascertain what they mean.

“Let us be off, there’s much to explore and likely much to fight” and with that she trudges into a thicket of bushes, using her sword to push them aside.

You follow behind her, finding it easier to make your way through due to your smaller stature.

After nearly a minute of this, you break through to the other side finding your selves on what seems to be a primitive dirt road.

Dramora kneels down beside a pair of humanoid looking tracks, before saying “Halfling… recent too.. we may not be along out here” before rising to her feet.

“Uh…. Ok… so should we turn back?”

“Not on your life, if a fellow student is here they likely have the same desire for adventure that we do, this is a good thing”

You’re already here and you don’t exactly have faith in your ability to jump that gap so you follow along.

Nearly 3 minutes down this dirt road you hear rustling in the dense bushes and trees around you.

You spin around, scanning the tree lines but you see nothing that sticks out, just thickets, tall grass and a few scrawny looking saplings.

You glance to Dramora and she seems to have taken notice too, her knuckles turning white as she grips her swords handle.

For a long moment nothing happens until you start to hear voices, not Dramoras and certainly not any halfling you’ve ever heard of.

The voices are course like gravel, rasping and wheezing like someone who’s out of breath, whisper yelling.

“Tuuuuuuuuuurn Baaaaaack….”

The voice is soon joined by others in a cacophony that makes you look around frantically looking for the source.

“No priiiiiiiize awaaaaaaaaits you…”

“Your not welcome heeeeeeeeeere..”

“Begooooooooone tresspasseeeeeeeers…”

You scan the tree line but nothings changed, tall grass, bushes, scrawny trees, then a haunting thought pervades your mind like a plague.

‘Did those trees just move…?’

Suddenly they leap forward, twisted wooden limbs break through the underbrush, they seem to have no eyes or even a head but you can feel their gaze burning into you.

“TURN BAAAAAAAAACK!!!” They all scream in unison, rearing back to scream into the ever night sky.

You’re surrounded, three in the road blocking Dramoras path and two in the road blocking yours with a natural barrier on your left and right formed by the foliage.

“Wh… what do we do…?!” You say instinctively crossing your arms into an X, anticipating a strike.

“We do what we came here for! We fight!” She bellows before charging forward, sword raised to the stars.

That leaves you to attend with the remaining two tree-beasts, they look wildly different though it’s clear they were made the same way.

Their crooked limbs scratch at the dirt as they stride forward, their legs are disproportionate causing them to take on a hunched, limping gait.

One of them raises an arm to strike you and you focus on protecting yourself, a twin pair of magical blades cross just in time, locking the beasts arm in their grip before performing a scissor motion, slicing the wooden hand clean off, thankfully it appears the beasts are wooden all the way through.

The beast recoils, not in pain, it seems but in an effort to read the situation more carefully before it’s next strike.

The other one charges forward, wildly flailing it’s twisted limbs, there’s enough distance that your able to fire out a Star Shard, hitting the beast in center mass causing it to fly backwards a couple feet before rising again.

The creatures circle you slowly, seemingly having learned their collective lesson, simultaneously they go to strike you!

You cast bladeward, separating your arms to intercept both attacks, you even surprise yourself in your footwork as you step aside, dropping your arms.

They had been pressing too much weight into your blades, giving them no chance to stop themselves from stumbling into each other.

They collapse in a heap before you, their twisted limbs tangled together and unfortunately they seem too clumsy to untangle themselves.

After having confirmed their condition you turn to see how your companion had fared.

Before you lies a road coated in wood chips and butchered kindling, you had turned just in time to see Dramora, in combat with the remaining monster.

She side steps the beast allowing it to stumble forward after over committing to its attack giving her an opportunity to strike.

She hefts her sword high, mutters something in a language you’re not familiar with before her blade ignites in a blue flame.

She skewers the wooden monstrosity with it and watches as it is slowly consumed with flames.

Once it’s a pile of burning timber, she pulls her sword free, walking past you to do the same to the tangled mass of wood behind you.

Once all is said and done you’re alone again without a scrawny tree in sight. “You have done well, I had expected you to flee, I’m happy to be wrong.”

She places one of her large hands on your shoulder and squeezes gently giving you a small satisfied smile before continuing down the path.

You’re glad you came now.

With the coast clear, even for a short time, you take the opportunity to ask about your companion.

“Can I ask a personal question?” You say as innocently as you could manage.

“Hm… I suppose you’ve earned that much of me” she says her hand placed on the pommel of her sword.

“How come you got exiled from your home?” Normally you’d assume she did something wrong but that couldn’t be the case considering that her father is paying for her time here which is no small matter.

“It’s tradition, I’m of age now and as tradition I’m to be exiled so that I may prepare” Her answer is in her usual calm tone though you can sense something underlying her tone.

“Prepare for what..?”

“To kill my father”

You stop in your tracks, brow furrowed in confusion, as she keeps walking, after moment you catch up to her, your mind filled with questions.

“Wait, it’s tradition to kill your parents where you come from…?!”

“Only for the royal family, and if my father kills me first then he may continue to be king”

“But… why..? Can’t you just settle it peacefully?”

“The people wouldn’t accept it, they desire strong leadership built on generations of conquest”

“Were we to come to a peaceful resolution, the people would consider out royal line sullied and seek out a new royal family”

“But… “ you’re unable to finish your retort before she spins around her face devoid of all emotion as she coldly states. “But nothing, it’s been this way for millennia, outlasting any dynasty to ever sit within the frozen cradle”

You recoil, fearing that you’ve overstepped boundaries before her face softens and she lets out a sigh.

“Let’s go… we’ve much ground to cover before we turn back” she says before she turns and continues down the path.

You continue on in silence, you think to apologize for overstepping but what could you say? It’s HER peoples traditions.

And for all you know this is exactly what’s required to make their civilization work properly.

Eventually you reach the end of the path, a small clearing presents itself with a small wooden cabin in its center.

You move forward hesitantly your guard raised, this place absolutely screams ‘TRAP’ but when you reach the door you start to doubt your previous assessment.

Looking to your companion she suggests you get behind her, she raises her large fist and raps on the doors surface three times.

You both hear a commotion inside and Dramora rears back and kicks the door down, it lands with a loud thud as both you and her move inside.

You had expected more of those monsters or even worse but all you find is a little halfling, attempting to climb out of a window in the back.

When he is unsuccessful he pushes himself back inside, landing on what appears to be his bed.

“Uh… what…” is all you can get out before his pleading starts.

“Please don’t kill me! I swear I won’t breathe a word to anyone about the Nephilim! Honest!”

It’s then you notice that he wears the ripped up remains of Wintermoor academy robes.

“Calm yourself, little imp, we’ve no interest in silencing you” Dramora says as she sheathes her sword.

You’ve nothing to sheathe so you just put your hands in the pockets of your robes as a sign of good faith.

The little halfling sighs in relief before collecting himself. “Then… why are you here…? You clearly belong to the academy…”

“We’ve come here for battle and loot” she says bluntly, kneeling to be at eye level with the halfling.

“Well you’ll get neither from me, my battling days are long behind me and I’ve not loot to offer”

What’s strange is he appears to be around your age, though he carry’s himself as someone far older than his years would suggest.

“What exactly are you doing out here..?” It’s strange that a student would be so far from the academy grounds especially for long enough that he’s built a home here.

“I’m hiding, missy, the academy staff don’t venture away from the academy grounds, especially not to this place!”

“Why would you be hiding from the faculty?”

“Cause they’d silence me if they knew I was alive! I was there when the nephilim attacked! I survived but when they came to make us forget, I fled!”

“Make you forget..? Speak plainly, imp.” Dramora says, apparently as interested as you are.

“The runes! They etch the runes into you and you forget what you saw! They make you forget about the ones who died so you can’t tell anyone this place is unsafe!”

“That isn’t true, it was spoken about during assembly, people remember!”

“Oh sure they do, for now anyway, soon as they leave the academy they’ll forget all about the Nephilim!”

The halfling stands atop his bed “If you found me then I need to leave, maybe that farmer will take me in…”

Before you can inquire further the halfling goes stiff, before falling forward off the bed, a small dart protruding from the back of his neck, presumably having struck him from the open window behind him.

You both take to cover, not wanting the same treatment. “Assassins!” Dramora shouts as she ducks under a window.

This continues for almost 30 seconds, avoiding darts flying in from nearly every window.

Finally both you and Dramora stand, apparently your attackers ran out of darts.

You both run outside, looking around, from the trees jump 3 men, all wearing academy robes that they rip off to reveal leather armor and weapons.

Assassins had infiltrated the academy?! How?!

“Why have you come here?” Dramora asks though she receives no answer as the men slowly approach, weapons drawn.

It’s readily apparent that the men are focusing on Dramora, probably because she’s wearing armor, has a sword and is double your height.

They dash forward, one locks swords with Dramora as the other two round her sides, how to encircle her.

You react by sending a Star Shard at one of the assailants, striking them in the leg causing them to trip over themselves.

Dramora utters that phrase from earlier causing her sword to ignite, sending the one she was locked with to back up, fearing her flames.

In that moment of reprieve she pivots her body around, her sword swinging with her momentum and striking the one other assassin that tried to flank her, sending a smoldering gash across their chest.

She follows up with an impaling stab, taking that assassin off the board.

The other two assassins go to capitalize on her **** state and you rush in as well.

You reach her in time to cross your arms and conjure the blade ward, catching both weapons with the guards of your mystical blades.

Dramora unsheathes her sword from the assassin and circles around you, chopping the assassin on your left in his side before pulling away.

His sword falls into the grass, leaving only one assassin.

He puts his boot into your gut, pushing you back and disrupting your concentration, setting his blade free.

He squares off with Dramora, both of them circling each other, before he goes in for a stab to her abdomen.

She side steps and runs her blade along the exposed part of neck that peaks out from his mask, ending him as well.

You struggle to your feet, catching your wind as you look around at them.

“Are you well?” Dramora says approaching you, you can see the concern on her face as she helps you to your feet.

“I’m… I'm fine, just knocked the wind out of me, is all” satisfied with your answer she bends down, examining one of the assassins.

You think to do the same and discover one of them had been wearing an enchanted pair of boots, allowing him to outrun his prey from the looks of it.

When you turn back to Dramora you find that she’s reading a crumpled up note, presumably found on one of the assassins.

She reads it for a moment before lowering her hand, taking in the information as tears well up in her eyes.

“Wh… what’s wrong…?” In response she only hands you the note.

You read the note aloud, slightly concerned.

“You’ll find her in attendance at Wintermoor Academy, take her by surprise, DO NOT underestimate her, youll be compensated upon completion”

At the end of the note you see a strange symbol, like royal insignia.

“From the lord of the icy cradle…” Dramora says, her shoulders slumped as she falls down onto the grass, her elbows on her knees.

“Wait your father….” You’re cut off by Dramora, she has a distant look in her eye as if lost in ancient memories.

“He used to take me hunting…”

“W.. what…?” You ask in confusion.

“In my homeland a woman had no place during a hunt, it was a mans responsibility..”

“…my father he… he would tell me that as the future ruler of my people… I would need to know what it meant to provide for my family…”

“S… so…. He took me out one year when the woods were especially cold… and we found an injured deer… probably attacked by a wolf…”

“He turned to me and said…’As ruler, it’s also your responsibility to do the right thing, even if it’s hard…’ and then…. He….”

“H.. he’s not evil… He’s just…. He’s just doing what he thinks is the right thing to do… even though it hurts…” you’ve never seen her display any real emotion but this… this is something else.

Earlier when you detected something lying below her calm tone… you know what it is now, it’s dread.

After some time you both collect yourself, she puts an arm around you.

“Th.. thank you for your company… you’ve the heart of a warrior..” she says with a small smile on her face.

And with that, you head back to the campus.

[Gained: Boots Of Speed]