If I did, this place sucks

You wake up, a bit disoriented, and in quite a lot of pain. Looking around, you find yourself in a strange, but vaguely familiar room. It was small, and made of stone, like most of your territory, settling your nerves a bit. Next to you are two more stone tables with furs over them. You wince as you sit up, and look over at your arm which is covered in wrappings. In front of you is a small cabinet, with a wood bowl covered in bloody rags and a huge piece of stone.

"Oh yeah, that was in my arm." You say before the door opens up. Before you is the otter girl, who gives you a smile as she enters.

"I see your awake Lord Yazas. You gave everyone an awful scare passing out on us like that. Its a good thing you had that potion on you. Otherwise we might have had to amputate your arm." She says as she opens the cabinet up and pulls out some fresh wrappings.

"Where am I?" You inquire.

"The infirmary. After Thistle and I stabilized you Ynn and the others arrived back and helped finish the Keep's construction. We put you here to take the stone out and deal with any other injuries you had." She says.

"I see. Thank you child. You have done me a great service. For that I shall reward you. For your deeds, I bestow upon you the name of Luna, in memory of what you have done, and to let Lady Silver herself know what it is you have done here." You say. Luna gave you a gobsmacked expression before she ran and jumped into your arms. Your bad arm would give you some problems later on, but you would deal with it. "Now, Healer Luna, what do I need to do to recover?" You ask once she lets go of you.

"Unless you feel like drinking another health potion, I need to wrap your arm every few hours for a day or two in order for it to heal properly." She explains. "It also will probably scar over once it is healed."

"Since we have a limited supply of potions, I'll take the other option. Speaking of which, here." You say handing her two of the three remaining health potions you have. "This way our healer can apply a quicker fix to anyone who needs it." You say with a smile. "Were there any other injuries I sustained?"

"Some bleeding from your forehead and side. I fear the damage would have been much worse if you had not had your leather armor on." She says. "If you're feeling alright, besides your arm, you probably would like to tour the Keep, as well as talk to Ynn, yes?"

You nod before she dismisses you from her care. For a while you wander the Keep, seeing what it looks like now that it is built. "Hm... looks like the bath doesn't have any water. Gonna have to add some plumbing in to fix that." You say. Eventually, you find Ynn outside at one of the practice dummies.

"I see you're awake." He barks out. It takes you a minute to process that he said that perfectly, if not in a harsh accent.

"And It seems you have the capability to speak common correctly now." You state. Ynn snorts.

"Leveled up. Weak Hero came by, I dealt with him." Ynn says as he slams his axe into the wood, sticking it. You're picking up some vibes off him, not good ones.

"Are... you feeling alright?" You ask.

"I'm fine. You however, I question. Are you still capable of leading? You are injured. And not in battle either." He snarls. You narrow your eyes before taking out your spear.

"Are you questioning my capabilities as a leader?" You point your spear at him and he yanks his axe out from the dummy.

"I Challenge them!" He yells before charging you. He swings at you, more controlled than the first time you two fought. But he's not the only one who has improved. Dodging the strike you slam the handle of your spear into the back of his arm, sending him to the ground. You go to stab the spear into Ynn's leg but he kicks you hard, sending you back a few feet.

When you recover, Ynn is standing once more and approaching you slowly. The two of you circle each other for a moment before you feign to stab at his chest only to get him in the hand. Ynn grunts out a response but jumps onto you and bites into your damaged shoulder.

"AH!" You yell in pain. He's not letting go so you do the only thing you can think of. You rush towards the wall and just before you get there you set your arm on fire, causing him to yelp in pain before you slam him into the stone. He falls off you, the smell of singed hair permeating the air. You level your spear at his face and cast an entanglement on him, the ground absorbing his body a bit. "Yield." You command.

You glares at you for a moment before nodding. "You are still capable then. I will continue to follow you." He says as the spell wares off. He stands back up and grabs his axes before returning to the dummy, giving you a nod. With a sigh you pinch the bridge of your nose and enter the Keep.

"Rough morning?" You hear besides you. You look over and see the Fox girl looking at you with a hint of confusion in her eye. Clearly, she must have caught a glimps of your altercation with Ynn.

"I'm guessing that that was Ynn's people's way of making sure the injured are capable of leading." You say. "And now, Luna is going to be angry that my shoulder is injured, again." You huff. She gives you a cute chuckle before she starts walking towards the door.

"Well, I dont think he was the only one questioning you. Thistle also had some thoughts." She says, turning her head towards you. You huff once more before she gives you a light kiss on the cheek, surprising you. "Good luck." She says, smiling like a fox who stole something shiny. You meet her look and land a smack on her sizable backside, causing her to yelp.

"Now your just being naughty." You say. She gives you a faux inquisitive look.

"Oh? Well maybe I haven't learned my lesson." She says, giving you the same smile as before.

"Deal with Thistle, and I may just have something special waiting for you in your private quarters." She whispers in your ear. With that she saunters off, with extra sway, out the door.

"Well, might as well get my arm fixed up first." When you get back to the infirmary, Luna levels a glare at you, something you didn't expect from the gentle child.

"What'd you do!?" She asks seeing the tattered remains of her dressings. Your arm is bleeding, and your normal ebony skin is an angry purple color.

"Ynn had some... thoughts to my improvements to the lair." You explain.

"That idiot. What is he thinking?" Luna huffs. She quickly cleans the wound and redresses it in new wrappings.

"Is this that cream you said you can make? The one that helps heal wounds?" You ask, seeing a pale green colored liquid in a bowl.

"Yeah. I had Ynn take me up to the surface a few times to get the plants i needed to make some." She says.

"I hope you were careful. I am not sure what happens to you all once you're defeated." You say thinking aloud. Luna looks at you for a minute before turning away.

"I don't know. I haven't been around enough to really think about stuff like that." She says as she puts her supplies back.

"You're lucky then." You state as a far off look enters your face. "But if I can help it, you won't have to think about it for a long time." You smile. "Thank you Luna." You say as you leave. You wander the keep for a while before you find Thistle in the kitchen cooking a piece of deer.

"Thistle." You say getting her attention.

"Yazas. I see you're awake." She says curtly. "How's your arm?"

"Better. Luna is quite the healer." You say.

"Luna?" She asks.

"In honor of Lady Silver, I gave her the name of the moon for her deeds." You explain.

"Deeds that would not have come about had you exercised caution and planning." She snorts.

"And we get to the disagreement section of the chat." You mutter. "I believe it was more planned out than you think." You say.

"Oh really? How is not telling anyone what it is you are doing before injuring yourself in such a way that causes mass panic planned out?" She asks.

"A valid argument, but I did not think it prudent to discuss and debate every idea I have." You say a bit angry at her jab.

"But that is something you must do as the leader of this operation. If you are gone we erupt into chaos. With the current situation in the world, what were we to think? You could have stumbled upon an enemy that attacked you, and you wouldn't have any back up to come rescue you." She points out.

"I am a Leigelord, an Elven one at that, when I die I respawn in my lair. Ynn could have explained that to you. The only others with this capability are the elementals under my command and Ynn. Ynn was out at the time, and I had no idea where it was that the Pebble Golems would respawn. They could have rebuilt themselves in the magma, stuck in a perpetual cycle of **** and rebirth. And where would we be then? We would still be constructing the Keep, only much slower."

The room grows quite as Thistle digests your argument. After a minute you speak up once more.

"Are there things I can do better as a Leigelord? Yes. Will I learn them without experience or my allies voicing their concerns? No. There is no guide book to being a Lord, the closest thing I can relate too is my Drow heritage, and that isn't a field of flower's to pick from either."

Another moment of silence passes between you. "I see. I had thought coming into this arrangement with you after you saved us that you had more experience. For that I apologies for having built up this character in my mind. If you wish for us to voice our concerns, we shall do so." With that she returns to her cooking. You leave a moment later, hoping that the animosity had lessened.

As you walk up the stairs towards the meeting hall, one of your sensor's goes off. You stop mid step and wait for a moment, hoping it was just the badger or one of the kids. A few moments later the next sensor is tripped. You quickly rush back in to the kitchen where Thistle is looking at you in concern. "Quickly! Something is on its way here." You say loudly.

The two of you split up as you run down the stairs. As you make it outside the final senor goes off. "Prepare for battle! "You yell to your minions. The fox girl rushes up the stairs as Ynn and the Gorilla join you at the gate. As you exit, you see the Shadow rush in to the cave. It quickly forms itself into the shape of a hooded figure. After a nod, it hides itself over the top of the cavern entranceway, ready to launch an ambush.

The cave is silent as you wait for this intruder, the only sound coming from the magma. After about ten minutes, a dim light appears from the tunnel and the cloaked figure emerges from the shadows. Behind him is a large woolly beast you quickly recognize. It's a rothe.

"Heelo!" The figure says strangely as they drop their hood. Its a very pale male, possibly a halfling of some sort due to the small tusks jutting out from his lower jaw and the pointed ears on his head. He has a ring going through the middle of his lower lip and tribal tattoos litter his face. You point your spear at the strange man, eager to get this confrontation over with.

"NO NO! Please wait. I am a wandering trader, ya?" He says in the same strange accent.

"A what?" You ask.

"Wandering Trader! I wander here and there and trade. Would you like to trade Yazas Vrammagon, the Silver Brigand?" He asks. When he smiles you see a large gap between his front teeth, about the size of the ring on his lip. You lower your spear and hold a hand up to signal to hold off on killing this stranger.

"Perhaps. What is it you have for sale? And why are you in the Hollow Path if you are a trader?" You inquire.

"Many things for sale! No joke. This is part of my territory of wanderings. We of the Wandering Trade Guild are assigned areas to wander. Here are many small communities, and even Dwarf settlement a week away." He says.

"Wandering... Trade Guild?" You ask.

"WTG!" The man says as he pulls his Rothe to the side revealing a bag. "My name is Luedevich Singenil. How much are you willing to spend today?" He asks as he pulls a table out from the saddle pack.

"Now that would be conceding the negotiations." You smirk as you approach the table. "But I think I shall view your wares. Certain, supplies are hard to find down here." You say.

"Indeed, Indeed!" He says giving you that smile again. He starts placing different items down on the table until it is completely full. "Anything you like?"

"Hm..." You say to keep the flow going. "Tell me, Luedevich was it? Where are you from exactly?" You say as you hold up a health potion.

"Oh I am from far away land called Sitbenburg, in Jinklimba. Is great place, very cold though." He says.

"I don't think I've ever heard of such a place." You say, having moved on to a sword.

"Jinklimba is real small country far to the north, ya." He says.

"I see. Ah Luedevich, do you have anything that could potentially get rid of a lot of rock in a single use?" You say. Luedevich's eyes light up before he shoves his hand deep into the bag. After a minute he pulls out a red stick.

"This will work. I have five crates of this back at my home. Works wonders for clearing debris. Makes great explosions, no joke, both hands fingers crossed." He says.

"Um what?" You ask.

"Both hands fingers crossed? Is fairly common saying." Luedevich says. You look back at the Gorilla man and Ynn who both shrug.

"Anyway how much will it cost for all 5 boxes?" You ask.

"Oh, 3 Gold coins, or 30 silver. Less if we do business." He says. You think for a moment, weighing the pros and cons of making such an expensive deal.

"What would you take off for some healing balm?" You ask.

"Healing Balm... Maybe 1 silver." He says.

"And materials, do you buy any raw materials?"

"Only in bulk of 100 at a time." He says.

"Then I think we have a deal. Here, let me give you some materials." You say before retrieving a thousand stone.

"That's a lot of stone!" He exclaims.

"Well, being in Hollow Path tends to give you stone." You say.

"I see now! I give you... 6 gold for all this!" He says as he pulls out his money pouch.

"Keep 3 of it. I'll take the explosives." You say before returning to the wares in front of you. You grab two minor health potions and some cotton clothes for the rest of your allies. Finally, you see a scroll sitting on the far side of the table.

"And what is this?" You say picking it up.

"Oh, that is Random Recipe scroll. Impossible to sell, no joke. Heroes don't want unknown recipe when they can buy known one. 1 silver." He says.

"Is it any recipe? Even one's I know?" You ask.

"Any recipe you can obtain." He says.

"I'll take it as well." You say as you grab it.

"Thank you for your patronage. I will return with your order withing 3 to 5 business days ya?" He says. "Is there anything else you would like from me before I leave?" He asks.

"Just a bit of information."

"Oh, Okay, I can do that." He smiles.

"How did you find my Lair? Did you just stumble on it?" You ask.

"Oh no, Administrators give location to all Wandering Traders. Your information was given by Administrator Zero." He says. You snort upon hearing this.

"Oh course it was."

"Is there problem?" Luedevich asks.

"No it's nothing."

"Very well. Oh, Almost forgot. Are you currently searching for more allies and minions?" He inquires.

"Maybe... why?" You ask.

"Part of WTG's job is to pass along information to different parties. As Elven Boss, though a micro one, you might have open spot for new allies. Some people just want something new." He says.

"I see. Then tell anyone who asks that I am indeed looking for more followers." You say.

"Very good. Pleasure doing business with you then." He says with a wave before packing up shop and exiting the cave. Once he's gone you return to the courtyard and hand out thr clothes to the group. When you get to the fox girl she gives you a wink and glances up at the large stalagemite above you. You nod before she takes her leave.

"Now let's see what kind of recipe I got." You mutter as you open the scroll. A large wheel appears before you, with different slices labeled different things. This must be how the game decides what recipe you obtain. You spin the wheel and it eventually stops. "A magical recipe? Hope it's a good one." You say. A new wheel appears where the old one was, this time with very different sized slices. In each of them is a rarity rating, with common having the largest slice, and Unique having the smallest.

You spin the wheel once more and you watch as it slowly comes to a stop on rare, the third rarest tier. It glows for a moment before disintegrating in your hands. You blink for a moment, unsure of what happened before a message appears before you.

(!) New recipe unlocked:

(!) Guard Drake

"Huh."