A message arrives from the temple of Pelor, requesting Annori and Ara to deliver a package and a letter to Remington Fletcher once they get to Osta Asari.
‘It’ll be fun seeing him again!’ Annori cheers. ‘And then you can meet him too, Raiden! You’ll love him, he’s great.’
‘So I’ve heard,’ Raiden says.
‘I wonder if he’ll get along with you,’ says Ara.
‘Hey, I take great pains to be easy to get along with.’
‘You do?’ Ara asks. ‘I’ve never noticed that.’
‘That’s because you’re special.’
The group debates on how to travel; on foot, on horseback, or perhaps a carriage? There is also the possibility of signing on for an escort mission to earn some pocket money on the way. Though there is the matter of them being unlicensed adventurers… Maybe that’s worth asking around about.
They start wrapping up their business in Anamdael by visiting their ex-toad friend at the Academy.
‘Funny thing,’ says Xadrynk nervously, as he welcomes them into his rooms. ‘Shortly after our previous conversation, it appears someone pulled a, uh, prank on one of the students in a restricted area. You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that?’
‘Not at all,’ Annori lies. ‘It sounds like pranks happen often around here, what with you being turned into a toad and all.’
‘Right, right,’ says Xadrynk, seemingly convinced.
They tell him they’re about to head out of town. Xadrynk thanks them once again for all their help, and assures them they’re always welcome to seek him out if they ever return to Anamdael.
‘By the way,’ says Raiden, remembering another loose end. ‘Do you by any chance know a Niles Candler? We came across his abandoned belongings on the road a while back and his notebook suggests he was a professor here.’
‘Candler? Oh yeah, he’s with Cosmology,’ says Xadrynk. ‘Melany Schaffer would be the one to ask, probably.’
‘Thanks,’ says Raiden. ‘Well, see you around, Xadrynk!’
Annori embraces Xadrynk. ‘If you ever want to be turned back into a toad, let me know.’
‘She can do that?’ Raiden whispers nervously to Ara.‘Ah, no thank you,’ laughs Xadrynk. ‘I quite like being able to use my hands.’
Next, they stop by at Marcius’ place, where they find him and Bree studying together. Bree reports he’s feeling much better and has had no lingering issues from his possession.
‘I’m just happy to be back to my studies,’ he says, quickly glancing over at Marcius. ‘And, you know, just being around.’
When asked about Candler, Bree also mentions the Cosmology department. They have no personal experience with the guy, however; they only ever took Introduction to Cosmology, which was taught by a different professor.‘How he managed to make an interesting subject into the most boring class ever is beyond me,’ recalls Bree. ‘It was the worst. Once I passed that class I never pursued Cosmology again.’
They say goodbye.
‘Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!’ exclaims Annori from the doorway.
‘So that leaves you with a pretty wide range of options,’ Raiden notes. ‘Boat haunting? Still very much on the table.’
Bree and Marcius exchange a confused look. Ara lingers as his companions depart, and approaches Marcius for a quick sidebar.
‘I would like to ask you for some relationship advice,’ Ara says.
‘Oh! Alright, what do you need?’
‘I have been… on and off with this man for a little while,’ Ara explains. ‘But things went sideways recently and I’m not sure how to proceed.’
‘So it’s ended? I’m sorry to hear that,’ says Marcius.
‘I think I ended it,’ says Ara. ‘After I spent the night, they were gone, and they’d left money for me on the table.’
‘That’s not… great,’ sighs Marcius.
‘It was payment for another job I did for them,’ Ara explains. ‘But still. And I don’t understand why they didn’t just wake me when they had to leave, you know? They just left a note saying it was urgent.’
‘Urgent how?’
‘Someone died, I don’t know,’ Ara sighs. ‘But not, like, a relative or anything. It was important for their job to go deal with it.’
‘Oh,’ says Marcius, getting more confused by the second. ‘Wait, this wouldn’t have anything to do with the rumors about the sudden death of the princess of Nospait, would it? Is this Ambassador Talthanryl we’re talking about?’
‘Of course not,’ says Ara quickly. ‘They’re way out of my league.’
‘Right,’ Marcius chuckles. ‘I mean that would be highly unlikely. So have you two talked at all since that happened?’
Ara huffs. ‘Yes. I told them to fuck off.’
‘I get it, you were angry…’
‘I have been told that a lot,’ Ara remarks.
‘Then the best course of action is probably to cool off a little before reaching out,’ suggests Marcius.
‘But I want them to reach out,’ protests Ara. ‘I don’t want to seem desperate.’
‘I’m sure they will,’ Marcius reassures him. ‘If anything, this just seems like a pretty clumsy move on their part, but it doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to. Try to clear your head, if you can, and I’m sure things will work out.’
‘I appreciate it,’ says Ara. ‘I am new to this social dynamic and I’m unsure of the rules.’
Marcius smiles. ‘It can be challenging to navigate. But with the right person, that’s all worth it.’
As Ara exits, Marcius turns to Bree. ‘You don’t think I’m desperate, do you?’
‘So, Annori – your druid master,’ says Raiden, as they walk through the hallways of the Academy. ‘Was he a boring teacher?’
‘Mm, he was alright,’ she replies. ‘He knows a lot about magic and I enjoyed learning. The boring part was that he never really talked about much else.’
‘That sounds a little lonely.’
‘I mean, I wasn’t alone – there were some swamp elves I got along with pretty well,’ she reminisces. ‘Compared to living on the streets, it was pretty great! He provided food and shelter and everything.’
‘Food is pretty great,’ Raiden agrees.
‘How did you learn your magic?’ Annori asks.
‘My magic?’ Raiden repeats. ‘If you can even call it that, I guess. Small tricks. I picked them up from my mom’s book.’
‘I like your tricks,’ she says. ‘You seem to learn pretty quickly.’
Raiden laughs. ‘To be fair, I’ve been pouring over this book for ten years, so I wouldn’t call it quick by any means. But then I guess the book isn’t technically meant to teach this stuff. It’s about complex magical theory that is way beyond my comprehension. But some of the notes my mom left in the margins pertain to smaller illusory stuff, so I managed to scrape something together.’
‘So was your mom good at magic?’ Annori asks as they head up a big staircase.
‘She was. Is,’ Raiden corrects himself. ‘She never told me much about her job, but everyone treated her like a highly skilled arcanist.’
‘Hey, maybe when we’re in Osta Asari you could find some more spell books!’
‘Yeah, maybe.’ Raiden glances inside a classroom full of students as they pass by.
‘I don’t actually remember if my mom knows magic,’ Annori ponders.
‘What do you remember of her?’
‘I remember… warm,’ she says slowly. ‘The kind of warmth that gets all around you. She had a lovely singing voice. And there was this feeling that when I was with her, everything was good.’ She takes a breath. ‘What if when I see her again, it feels different?’
Raiden nods. ‘I guess most people have the luxury of having that relationship change gradually over time, instead of facing that contrast all at once.’ They round a corner. ‘But that doesn’t mean it’ll be bad. Just different.’
‘Yeah,’ Annori sighs. She then perks up a bit. ‘I wonder if your mom and my mom would like each other.’
Raiden smiles. ‘I, for one, am excited to meet her.’
They arrive at the office of Miss Schaffer, who is a human in her mid twenties and appears to be quite tired. She invites them to sit and prepares some tea and coffee for them.
‘What can I help you with? You’re not students of mine, are you?’
‘We are adventurers,’ says Raiden. ‘And we happened upon the personal belongings of a coworker of yours, one Niles Candler.’
‘Candler?’ She turns towards them. ‘What… what happened to him?’
‘We’re not sure,’ Raiden explains, as he lays out the notebook and the other items on the desk. ‘But he’s been away for long enough that the innkeep doesn’t think he is coming back.’
‘I see,’ miss Schaffer breathes. Her face betrays an array of emotions, from surprise and sadness to a hint of relief. She moves over to the desk and picks up the notebook. ‘Thank you for letting me know. I have been taking over a bunch of his tasks and classes, I guess that job is less temporary than I thought it’d be.’ She looks up. ‘Professor Candler was my mentor,’ she explains. ‘He taught me everything I know. It’ll be strange without him around here.’
‘I read some of his notes,’ says Raiden. ‘I don’t know anything about the Feywild, but if that’s what he was studying… Doesn’t time pass differently there? Do you think there’s a chance he just meant to pop his head in for a minute and got stuck?’
‘Perhaps,’ miss Schaffer muses. ‘Though it would be highly out of character for him to venture into the Feywild without his notes. Plus, he’s very aware of the rules, he wouldn’t be caught unawares by them.’
‘The inn he disappeared at was at the edge of a forest with a bunch of strange magical activity,’ Annori remembers. ‘Maybe the rules were different there.’
‘Are there people who would want to harm Professor Candler?’ Raiden asks.
Miss Schaffer hesitates. ‘I mean, he wasn’t universally liked by his students – he’s been known to take some, um, creative liberties with their work. I’m sure some folks resent him for that. But enough to harm him…?’
‘Or maybe someone played a prank on him,’ Annori offers. ‘That seems to happen a lot here. Like when Xadrynk was turned into a toad and abandoned in that temple.’
‘I’m sorry?’ Schaffer inquires, a little shocked.
‘Oh yeah, that’s what he told us had happened at least,’ Annori explains. ‘Something with potions. He was in there for a while.’
‘That sounds like more than a prank,’ Schaffer notes in disbelief. ‘Perhaps I should look into that. Xadrynk, you said?’
‘Oh, he’s fine now,’ Annori adds hastily. ‘We fixed him and now he’s back working on his graduation.’
‘Right,’ Schaffer mumbles. ‘Either way, thank you for letting me know about Professor Candler. I appreciate you taking the time to drop off his things.’
‘No problem,’ says Raiden. ‘Thanks for the coffee. Based on how strong it is, I suppose I should wish you luck with the rest of the semester.’
Ara, meanwhile, experiences his first cup of coffee, and is altogether unimpressed.
The next stop on their goodbye-tour is Master Valms apothecary. As soon as he steps foot inside the store, Ara notices some shelves that are poorly stocked.
‘I know, I know,’ says Valm, as he comes to greet them. 'Don’t worry, I’ve put in the orders, there’s just been a delay with the delivery.’ He looks around. ‘You brought your friends this time.’
‘We’re leaving town soon,’ says Ara. ‘Thought I’d say goodbye.’
‘I see,’ says Valm. ‘Well, it’s been nice to have someone to talk to about home. Thank you for indulging an old man.’
‘Could you ever be convinced to return to the swamp?’ asks Ara.
Valm brushes away some dried leaves from the counter. ‘It’s complicated. But it’d be nice to have the possibility.’
‘Yeah,’ sighs Ara wistfully. ‘Well, I’ll make sure to tell my dad about you. That way, if you ever do return, you can get some free stuff from his workshop.’
Valm smiles. ‘I appreciate the gesture.’ He looks at Annori and Raiden, who is browsing shelves in the background. ‘You all stick together now, alright? Trust each other.’
‘We’ll try our best,’ says Annori. ‘Though one of us already left, and another is… Are you still on friend parole, Raiden?’
‘Last I checked, yeah!’ Raiden replies.
‘Damn, I really thought we ended that already,’ Annori whispers to Ara.
‘Good luck on your travels,’ says Valm. ‘If you’re ever back in town, do stop by.’
As they leave, Annori lingers behind and places a gold coin on the counter.
‘Thank you again for looking out for Ara,’ she says. ‘If it weren’t for you, I think he’d be much worse off.’
Valm pushes the coin back to her. ‘No need for that. It may be on your shoulders now to keep this group together. It isn’t a fair thing, but I wish you the best all the same.’
Annori smiles awkwardly. ‘Yeah, we’ll try to save the world, I guess.’
‘It’s not about saving the world, I think,’ says Valm, as he watches Ara walk away. ‘But I hope you all find out what’s been going on. If swamp elves are going to be part of this world again, and I personally very much hope we do, we will need to find a way to exist in it without being swallowed by it.’
‘We’ll do our best,’ Annori promises. She takes back the coin and hands Valm a granola bar instead, which he is pleased to accept.
At the temple of the Wildmother, Annori updates her deity about everything. When she shares her nerves about reuniting with her mom, she feels embraced by a pleasant warmth – not trying to imitate her mothers memory, but to amplify it.
‘I think the friend parole thing is over,’ says Ara as he and Raiden pack their travel bags.
‘Oh,’ says Raiden, surprised. ‘You sure?’
‘Yeah, you did pretty well. With the Candler business, it was clever to follow up on that lead.’
‘Thanks,’ says Raiden, wrapping up pairs of socks. ‘Well, you told me to make a plan, so I obliged. I feel like that’ll get easier once we’re in Osta Asari – I know that place.’
‘Does that mean people will know you there?’ asks Ara.
‘Uh, yeah,’ Raiden replies. ‘Maybe. Probably.’
‘Are you gonna be in trouble?’
‘No!’ He thinks for a second. ‘Nooo… Hm? No.’
‘Well, I’m reassured,’ says Ara.
‘I just haven’t given it much thought before,’ Raiden explains. ‘I don’t usually return places. But I don’t believe I’ve done wrong by most people who knew me there. Aside from disappearing on them, I suppose some folks weren’t too pleased with that.’
‘Who were you back when you lived in Osta Asari?’ Ara asks.
‘Oh, loads of people,’ says Raiden. ‘I worked at a tavern for a pretty long time. Did my first jobs for the Copper Syndicate. And I was a merchants assistant for a bit. It’s a big city, easy to live multiple lives in.’
‘Do you think “Raiden” will be your adult name?’
Raiden considers this for a second. ‘I think so? It feels right, I think. To stick with something for once.’
‘You’re lucky – elves only get to pick one new name in their lifetime,’ says Ara.
‘Why?’
Ara sorts his belongings by size on the bed. ‘We choose our name once we learn who we truly are. And we spend the first century of our lives figuring out who that is.’
‘That’s pretty nice,’ says Raiden. ‘But what’s stopping you from re-learning who you are, in, I don’t know, another couple centuries from now?’
‘That’s just not how it works,’ states Ara. ‘There’s a whole ritual. My mother chose an archery contest.’
‘Amazing,’ says Raiden, carefully wrapping up his razor. ‘Did she win?’
‘Of course, she picked the contestants.’
Raiden laughs. ‘So what was your ritual like?’
‘I haven’t had mine yet,’ Ara states.
‘Oh,’ says Raiden. He looks up at the swamp elf. ‘Does that bother you?’
Ara takes a second to answer. ‘Not the fact that I’m late. I’m not entirely sure I have figured out who I am yet.’
‘I can relate,’ exhales Raiden.
‘But the fact that my community deemed me to not be ready… stings. And now I’m away, so who knows how long it’ll be until they can reconsider.’
‘Hm,’ hums Raiden. ‘Though I guess it gives you time to plan your ritual.’
‘I would like for it to involve fist-fighting,’ declares Ara. ‘I’d love to get a good punch in on my mother.’
Raiden chortles. ‘That would be very fitting, I’d say.’
‘What would you want your naming ritual to be like?’
‘That’s a good question,’ Raiden ponders, stuffing rations into his pack. ‘I guess I’d have to figure out what I like.’
‘Perhaps we can all give this some thought on the road to Osta Asari.’ Ara looks over at him. ‘We should really focus on the packing, though, cause those rations are mine and you need to give them back.’
When I’m in a rut, I can always count on pose reference artists to get me drawing again. 😌 Saw this fun one by @adorkastock and immediately knew it had to be Annori!
Maybe I’ll see if I can draw the whole gang with some downtime activities.
FIT CHECK ✨ The @anywaymurder gang has been manifesting a fancy party to go to for years, and now it's finally happening...! And when you play D&D with artists, you get a stunning outfit reveal. Who would you invite for a dance? 👀
The gardens are beautiful and Annori feels right at home there. She happily picks a blueish green flower and tucks it into Kevins hat. ‘To match your eyes,’ she says.
High above them on the edge of the tall cliff sits the manor, towering over them, currently shrouded in darkness. Five large, glass columns rise up to reach the terrace, and seem to be gently ferrying groups of people upwards. They curiously step towards the queue, but Findire beckons them to stay back for now.
‘Don’t rush upstairs just yet, friends,’ they say with a twinkle in their eye. ‘You won’t want to miss this.’
They stand waiting in the gardens for a little while longer as the sky turns magnificent shades of pink and orange. When the setting sun and rising moon flank the manor on either side, it becomes clear why Findire insisted on entering through the gardens. Small lights begin to appear on the walls and windows, slowly at first, then quicker, until the entire building is bathing in a starry glow that matches the colors of the sky. It’s a magical sight, and only when the sound of cheers emerges do they realize that all attendees had been quietly holding their breath as they beheld it. Findire winks at Annori when she meets their gaze, and gestures for them to take their place in the queue for the columns.
‘That was amazing!’ says Annori, while they enjoy the snacks and drinks being served to them by wait staff. ‘Does everyone in the city get invited?’
‘Ah, well, no,’ Fin discloses. ‘The manor is quite large, but the Duchess does not have space to host the entire city, I’m afraid.’
‘Hm,’ says Annori, not entirely pleased with that answer.
‘Perhaps you could discuss it with her tonight,’ suggests Fin with a smile. ‘I’m sure she’d be happy to hear your ideas.’
‘Maybe I will,’ declares Annori.
‘Whether they attend or not, the opening of the terrace is a night full of festivities for most people in Anamdael,’ Fin explains. ‘You’ll find many parties all over town.’
Kevin observes Ara, who seems not quite so at ease here as Annori and doesn’t know what to do with his hands. Findire stays close to him and every now and then lays a gentle hand on Ara’s arm to point something out to him. Kevin takes two drinks from a passing waiter and offers them to the pair.
‘Here, to ease the mind a little,’ he tells Ara.
Completely stone-faced, Ara asks: ‘Is it drugged?’
‘What? No!’ exclaims Kevin, aghast.
‘Wooow,’ murmurs Raiden through a mouth full of snacks. ‘Can’t believe you’d accuse my man Kevin of such a thing.’
‘I’m sure anyone who would do that only has Ara’s best interest at heart,’ mumbles Annori, flustered.
‘Here, if you’re truly worried,’ Findire switches Ara’s glass with their own, raises it in a quick toast and takes a sip.
‘I wasn’t — You don’t… Let’s just forget the whole thing,’ Kevin stammers as he takes the glass back out of Ara’s hand and knocks it back in one big gulp.
Thankfully, any further awkwardness is interrupted when they are ushered into the nearest glass pillar. Some sort of spell moves the platform they are standing on and they ascend, granting them a stunning view of Anamdael. They do indeed see many places in the city lit up with lanterns for festivities of their own.
Stepping out onto the terrace, they see most of the guests are moving into the large ballroom inside the manor. Raiden overhears some of them whispering about Falinel — it appears she is late, while Astrid is already here.
‘So, what do we say when people ask us who we are?’ wonders Annori.
‘Just tell them you’re here as my guests, and no one will bother you with further questions,’ states Findire, as they scan the crowd. ‘Ah, I will have to leave you for a while, there are people I need to converse with. Please — enjoy yourselves. You’ve earned it.’ They briefly bow their head with a smile before turning around to mingle, leaving the group to their own devices.
As they enter the ballroom, Kevin is struck with a feeling of awe and nostalgia. It’s been a while since he was at a formal event, and longer still since he was anywhere this fancy. He turns to Annori to ask her to dance, but is interrupted with a tap on the shoulder. He turns around to find a girl of about seventeen.
‘Oh, sorry mister, I was wondering if you would dance with me?’
‘Of course, I’d love nothing more,’ replies Kevin in all his chivalry. He guides her onto the dance floor where they share some elegant steps and polite conversation. The girl is named Lorelei, and came here from Feirenwald with her mother.
‘It’s my first time here, I’ve always wanted to go,’ she explains. ‘My friends have been encouraging me to go up to you — I just really loved your outfit.’
When the next song starts, Annori excitedly cuts in and she and Kevin enjoy themselves with a more playful strut.
Suddenly, murmurs start to ripple through the crowd. Falinel arrives, wearing a truly gorgeous gown. A gown that, regrettably, she wore to last year’s gala. Whispers spread. ‘What happened to her?’ ‘Is that last season’s dress?’ ‘Unheard of!’ ‘Did her stylist die?’ ‘No, but fashion did, along with her dignity.’ ‘I know elves live long but that outfit shouldn’t.’
Annori and Kevin exchange a silent look on the dance floor and nod.
‘How embarrassing!’ Annori says, barely whispering.
‘Indeed,’ Kevin chimes in, ‘so not demure.’
The whispers continue, spurred on by their contributions. Falinel keeps her head high, though Annori can spot some genuine annoyance peek through under her expression of resignation.
Indulging in more fancy treats at the snack table, Raiden suddenly spots a familiar face. Bree is standing next to a halfling noble in extravagant robes, who is orating loudly and endlessly to a handful of people about how much he enjoys sponsoring research. Bree can’t get a word in edgeways and seems to shrink with every word. Raiden wipes his fingers on his coat and walks up to him.
‘Bree, hi, I realize I only really knew you as Ancient Soldier Guy so uh,’ he extends a hand towards Bree, whose eyes grow wide with panic as he shakes it. ‘I’m Raiden. How are you doing?’
‘HAHA!’ exclaims Bree nervously, his eyes darting towards the nobles observing them. ‘He means, uh — it’s a game we play. A character.’
‘Right! Games!’ Raiden jumps in, catching on quickly. ‘Tabletop roleplay at the inn, it’s a whole thing. There’s dice involved.’
‘With whom do we have the pleasure?’ asks one of the nobles.
‘Me?’ Raiden leans a little too amicably on Bree’s shoulder. ‘I’m here as a guest of Ambassador Talthanryl. Friend of a friend, you know how it is.’
‘You know the ambassador!’ exclaims another. ‘Have they told you whether they bring good news from Nospait? I’m looking to speak to them about a business opportunity.’
‘Ah, no, I’m afraid that’s not the type of thing they discuss with me,’ says Raiden, settling comfortably into this conversation that’s way above his pay grade. ‘But do tell me about your business idea!’
The nobleman explains a trade proposal concerning mushrooms from Nospait that can’t be grown elsewhere.
‘Now, are we talking about the eat-y kind, or the other kind?’ asks Raiden playfully. ‘Because either way, I’m in.’
There is laughter, and another noble pipes up. ‘You should talk to Melvin here, he’s acquired some actual moopleberry juice!’
For a few blissful minutes, Bree can enjoy a bit of respite from having to dance around the topic, but eventually his patron does bring the conversation back to the possession spell.
‘It’s going to revolutionize the way we teach History!’ he proclaims. ‘Imagine — students will no longer have to guess at the motivations of a historical figure, or pretend to empathize with the victims of past tragedies. Soon, this research will enable academics all over the Empire to connect with the past on a deep, personal level by hearing these stories first-hand!’
‘Marvellous,’ remarks Raiden, slapping Bree on the shoulder. ‘I see absolutely no drawbacks.’
Meanwhile, Ara has gravitated towards the quietest corner he could find on the terrace. He firmly holds his drink now that he has no spear to cling onto, and stares into the middle-distance. He quietly worries about not having complimented Fins outfit, and is scripting a whole conversation in his head.
‘There you are!’ says Kevin.
‘You don’t look like you’re having fun,’ states Annori. ‘Come inside, there’s so many people to insult there!’
‘I don’t insult people,’ corrects Ara. ‘And I’m not having fun, I’m the only swamp elf here.’
‘Sure, but we’re here!’ Annori says, wrapping an arm around Kevin. ‘Look at this face, he needs to be danced with.’
Ara looks out to the crowd on the dance floor. ‘We’re on Fins territory now. I don’t wanna… embarrass them.’
‘Findire definitely wants to dance with you, are you kidding?’ exclaims Annori. ‘I saw the way they were looking at you! Come on.’
Together they drag Ara back inside. Kevin leads him in a stiff dance, which Annori carefully ensures is in view of Findire who is standing a little ways away. It doesn’t take long for their plan to pay off. Fin approaches them from across the room.
‘May I cut in?’ They extend a hand in invitation to Ara. He looks to his friends making encouraging gestures in the background.
‘I believe this is the part where you say “yes”,’ Fin suggests, with a gentle smile.
Ara meets their gaze and, after a second or so, takes their hand.
They share a graceful dance together. The rhythmic tranquility of this shared focus connects them, and they glide across the floor in unison without needing to speak.
