Raising his hands to the impenetrable wall, he muttered words of power inaudible to me. A rush of wind poured into the valley. The plants shook and trembled in its wake. In a single wave, the ferns retreated, curling and withdrawing until all that remained was a blanket of fiddleheads. They valley was now open to us.
"Are you going to tell me how you did that?" I asked
"Maybe when you get better."
Clifford took over now. Petey was exhausted, becoming more a problem than a solution. My lover and friend kissed me on my forehead, holding me up as our people filed by us. “Our people.” That thought filled me with comfort and joy. It was good to have a community again.
They were all eager to find their new home. Many of the elves had bowed to me as they passed, whispering an unknown prayer under their breath.
Following the mass of bodies ahead of us, we continued into the forest. Even if the moon were shining into the Vale, the canopy would have hidden it from us. Instead, the moisture in the air offered its own illumination. The mist’s glow was soft and warm, inviting me to fall asleep.
As we trekked through the valley, the moon had positioned itself overhead. Silver beams of moonlight cut through the mist to reveal a sea of sleeping fronds.
"Is this you? Is the fog a spell you summoned to put the forest to sleep?"
Clifford nodded. He was very pleased with himself.
"It only lasts another ten minutes. Enjoy it. We'll be to the ruins before then."
And he was correct. Five minutes had passed, and the tree line abruptly ended. The mass of bodies had already fanned out into a clearing ahead. We had reached the center of the valley.
The scent of moss and wood faded, replaced by the crisp aroma of dirt and must. The trickling sound of water pierced the air. Crashing waves echoed in the distance. The area itself was perfect, almost tailored to support a group our size. To the north and south, towering cliffs offered secrecy and respite, as though we were babies asleep in a gigantic cradle. The north side of the field was flat and damp, moon grass covering the entire area. A river skirted the area, one bank taunting the cliff above it. To the south, we found our trophy: a modest keep hugging the cliff. A large wall encased it, wide enough for foot patrols.
Congratulations! You have found ‘Brackenvale Keep.' +40xp
I pushed Clifford away from me and hobbled forward on my mangled leg. I scanned the fort. I looked back at him. I studied the fort a second time. I looked back at him again.
"You. You just happened 'to have an idea' about where we could go?" I recalled his own words in his study a few months ago.
He shrugged. "It's alright."
I waved my fist at him in faux anger.
Over his shoulder, the forest behind him transformed. The haze had vanished, and the song had silenced. What was before an open wood with meandering paths was now a sea of stinging ferns ready to inflict pain and death on anyone who should mess with them. I was relieved at not hearing anyone scream in agony. We hadn't missed anyone when walking through the woods.
I wasn't mad at my companion. I was thrilled. And a little skeptical. I know that he came here as a child, but that was many years ago. While the forest appeared impenetrable, we had managed to get through. Others could have as well, either from the east by boat or the west on foot.
Our new settlers waited outside of the main gate. Exhaustion and fatigue overwhelmed them. Some had settled on the hillside, prepared to fall asleep at any second. I skipped through the crowd with Clifford as my crutch, catching up to Moga and Baridorne. The two were pressing their bodies into the stone gates isolating the keep. I almost laughed at the sight of my little friend. His face was as red as a tomato in July either from strain or anger. It was too hard to tell.
"Clifford, is it safe?" Nila asked him, waiting patiently by the front gates. The bags under her eyes looked more like a mask. I hadn't realized how strained the woman was by casting the portal. Hours later and she still looked exhausted.
"It is a ruin. No ruins are safe. The danger is contained, though. My mother and I saw to that years ago."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a rune on the gate that she placed there. If more than an animal got over the walls, the rune would be broken." He put his hand on the stone gate and muttered something. It wasn't a spell. His mana hadn't reduced. The large doors were repelled by his touch and screeched open revealing the village within.
"And there's a dungeon here. It hasn't been cleared in years giving the enemies within time to strengthen. Even my mother hasn't cleared the entire thing, and she was level 50."
"And the creatures can't leave the dungeon?" I finally joined the conversation.
"No. Just like Nott's Sanctum, they're tied to the dungeon itself. If they leave, they can die. That is usually enough to compel the creatures to stay put."
Pleased with his answer, we moved into the keep. With our weapons drawn we cleared each building. There were dozens of stone houses and a central manor the size of Clifford's Elathian estate. This building, however, was constructed into the cliff. More precisely, it seemed like the wall had grown around it.
In clearing the homes, all we managed to find was a family of red foxes. They growled and screamed when we drove them away.
"Where's this dungeon?" I asked.
"Near the far wall." He gestured into the distance. "You should warn others not to go in there."
Our tour of the village was finally complete. My friends stood on the stone steps leading into the manor, eager to settle in for the night. The crowd of four-hundred freed slaves and former masters encompassed us. They had blank expressions painted on their faces. Most of them had spent their entire lives following orders. They were looking at the group of us, waiting for instructions from their leaders; waiting for instructions from me.
"What do we do now?" I turned to my friends with baited breathe.
"We do this." Clifford grabbed my hand and pressed our palms into the door of the manor. A notification's white text flashed in his eyes. He didn't consider it for long, and it quickly faded. A wall of text then filled my field of vision.
Congratulations! You have been transferred ownership of your first settlement! Brackenvale Keep. Current level 8.
This transfer is permanent. It cannot be rejected.
Congratulations! You are now the leader of your first settlement. Transfer of ownership resets settlement level.
Name: Brackenvale Keep
Level: 1
Population: 417 (overpopulated)
Village Morale: Very low
Current renown: Unknown
Regional Defenses: Rocky shores, sheer cliff face, Acid Ferns, Switchback, Hidden entrance to the valley.
Keep defenses: Ten-foot by three-foot wall, cliff face, gate and portcullis
Keep resources:
Water - Unlimited.
Food - Two months supply
Crops - None
Animal feed - None
Animals – None
Seed - One season
Weapons - Minimal
Notable buildings - Manor with war room, Stables with animal paddocks.
Other buildings - 47 generic stone buildings. Allies: None Trade Partners: None Enemies: Wraithheart Company
You now have access to this village's interface within the confines of Brackenvale Valley.
You are now bonded to this village. Your resurrection location has been fixed to here. This can be changed in one month.
Congratulations! You have completed the quest: "Let My People Go!"
This is an epic quest.
You have freed your friends along with 397 former slaves and 10 former masters. You have found them a new settlement.
Reward: +750xp, disposition gain with core allies.
Bonus Reward: +8,140xp (20xp per person), +1 moral gain for medium-quality settlement.
Congratulations! You have reached level 9! You have 2 attribute points to assign.
Congratulations! Yo
u have reached level 10! You have 4 attribute points to assign.
Congratulations! You have reached level 11! You have 6 attribute points to assign.
Congratulations! You have reached level 12! You have 8 attribute points to assign.
Congratulations! You have reached level 13! You have 10 attribute points to assign.
Congratulations! You have reached level 14! You have 12 attribute points to assign. 1,791xp to next level.
Congratulations! Your disposition with Rose Thane has increased from Trusted to Ally! Congratulations! Your disposition with Junta Thane has increased from Friendly to Trusted!
Congratulations! Your disposition with Neeta Thane has capped at Trusted! Children cannot become allies.
Congratulations! Your disposition with Baridorne has increased from Trusted To Ally!
Congratulations! Your disposition with Moga has increased from Neutral to Friendly!
Congratulations! Your disposition with Peadair Byrne has increased from Friendly to Trusted!
Congratulations! Your disposition with Nila Hislop has increased from Indifferent to Friendly!
Congratulations! Your settlement morale has increased from Very Low to Low.
Attention: You are now known in the region as the leader of Brackenvale Keep. Your settlement renown is Unknown. Increasing your renown comes with rewards and consequences.
Current Renown Reward: +15 leadership
Congratulations! Your rank in Leadership has increased from 12 to 25.
Congratulations! Rank 25 offers you the ability to form war parties. You may now command twenty-four other members in a single war party!
Congratulations! Your rank in Leadership has increased from 25 to 27
Clifford yanked my hand away from the door, and the notifications vanished. The crowd was silent, shock and awe written on their faces. I've never seen so many open mouths in my life. I was also in shock, trying to process what had just happened.
My eyelids were out of control, unable to shake the information they had just processed.
"You just gained six levels in a few seconds."
"I did, didn't I?"
I took a moment to survey the crowd. I was their leader now. I had to take charge.
Walking down the stairs, I zoomed into the first person I saw that I hadn't met.
"What's your name?" I asked her.
The woman shook in my presence, unsure how to greet me.
"My Lord-"
"Michael, please. I am no lord here. I am your friend, and I hope you may one day be mine."
"Michael, I'm Clara." The woman pulled on her slave collar, a nervous tick many have adopted to cope with their lot in life.
"Clara, it's wonderful to meet you." I pulled the Trisian woman into a tight embrace, her rags scratching my chin. Releasing her, I spun her around to face the crowd.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Clara. She woke up this morning a slave of the Wraithheart Company. She is going to fall asleep tonight a free woman!"
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Roaring echoed throughout the village, bouncing off of the stone buildings and walls protecting us.
"Like you all, Clara is a woman of profound courage. Against all the odds, she rebelled against Elatha, a city cast in despair and darkness. She chose to live her life free from the chains of slavery and free from the malevolence of Ankou Levent and his master, Mannana." Some in the audience gasped when I said the High King’s name.
"Now don't be like that. Whether you say his name or not, Levent will stop at nothing to see you back in chains. There's no power in his name. His power was in controlling us. And we took that from him. We chose to rebel. And we will continue to do so for as long as we are alive—and I have no doubt that we will be alive for a very, very long time."
Applause filled the square again.
"Now before I say goodnight to you all, I have two orders of business. One significant and the other common. When finished here, I need a group of you to organize and get water. You've each come from a specific household in Elatha. If there was a leader among you in that house, I need you to make sure everyone has food and drink before you go to bed. If you can't find food, come to the manor, and we will see you taken care of." Mumbling broke out in the crowd. They were all tired, hungry, and thirsty. Many expressed delight at seeing the day ending.
"My last statement for tonight, I promise." I could hear my friends behind me laughing.
"Tonight, none of us are members of or subjects to the Wraithheart Company. I am calling for the formation of a new company, specifically to govern and guarantee the survival and prosperity of our new home. Everything I have accomplished today is thanks to the grace and benevolence of a singular goddess. I was lost and alone. She became my source of light. I wish to dedicate our new home and our company to her. Like her, we will be the heart of light and healing for all the downtrodden of Vros. In every action, we will strive to purge darkness from this land! From this day forward, I name us 'Bracken Corps," named so after our new home.
The crowd erupted for a final time. Roars, whistles, and applause echoed throughout the valley. The elves in our company were all yelling something, bowing to me. The celebration lasted another minute before the crowd settled down and began filing out of the square.
Finally, only my closest friends remained: The Thatcher family, Moga, Baridorne, Petey, Clifford, and Nila. Standing in silence, we all considered one another with a sense of surprise and disbelief. We made it. We were now free.
The End
Secret name: Slanaitheoir (savior)
Character name: Michael Dian-Cecht
Race: Spirit Elf
Age: 27
Class: Undefined
Talent: Undefined
Level 14 (1,791xp to next level)
Health: 324 (244)
Mana: 419 (244)
Stamina: 244
Fatigue: 0%
Armor: 80 (1.1% damage mitigation) - 2.1% damage mitigation with skills.
Unassigned: 12
Strength: 12
Intelligence: 16
Wisdom: 15
Constitution: 16
Agility: 12
Luck: 6
Alignment: Chaotic Good (+1)
Racial Traits: +5% to herbalism, +5% to all non-metal crafting, +5% to nature-based healing and damage spells, +5% to mana regeneration
Profession: Undefined
Company: Bracken Corps
Modifiers: +20% movement speed, Spirit Elf (+10% to all damage and healing done. -10% to all magical damage taken. +10% increase to all physical damage taken), 25% threat reduction, +8% to damage and spells (gear)
Skills:
Novice Blades 1 (.25% increase damage): The ability to deal damage with knives and blades. Drains stamina. Increase in rank reduces stamina drain and increases additional damage.
Novice Staves 8 (1.8% increased damage, 2.5% increased chance to block). The ability to use a staff weapon to attack and block enemies.
Novice Grappling 1 (1% increase damage): The ability to deal physical damage through hand-to-hand combat.
Novice Light Armor 6(1% reduced damage/movement speed): Wearing light armor grants a bonus to damage reduction. Increase in rank improves movement speed and reduces damage taken.
Novice Observation 6: You are keenly aware of your surroundings. You are able to glean useful information from those around you to aid in your understanding of your world.
Novice Stalking 7 (1.6% chance of remaining hidden): The ability to stealth through the world. Increases fatigue. Increase in rank improves hiding, reduces fatigue increase and improves movement speed while moving silently.
Journeyman Herbalism (rank 45): The ability to craft powerful potions, elixirs, and poisons. Increase in rank to make mixtures requiring more ingredients. Increase in rank to make mixtures of better quality and class.
Novice Tailoring 1 (1% reduction in time to craft, quality of item): The craft of creating cloth armor and goods.
Novice Tracking 1 (10% chance to find trails and tracks in nature): The art of finding your way through nature. Useful for hunting creatures or humanoids alike. Also aids in discovering new paths.
Apprentice Leadership (rank 27): The ability to persuade and command others. Increase rank to be seen as a more effective leader. Higher ranks provide skills unique to leading and commanding groups of people.
Novice Cooking (rank 5): The ability to create amazing items to reduce fatigue. Advanced creations offer other temporary benefits. Higher ranks improve quality of creations.
Spells:
Novice Nature's Grace I (rank 4): Cast this to infuse your target's wounds with natural magic, healing them for 3hp per second for 4 seconds. Mana cost: 10. Cast time: 1 second. This cannot be dispelled.
Apprentice Living Seed I (rank 18): Cast this to plant a seed of natural magic in your target to heal them for 4hp per second for 10 seconds. Upon expiration, the target is healed for another 10hp. Mana cost: 26. Cast time: 2.5s Increase the rank of this spell to increase its potency. Can be modified by Wisdom, enchantments, and racial abilities. Can be dispelled.
Novice Dual-Cast (rank 2): Weave two spells into one for 2.5x the normal mana rate. This may backfire causing damage and a waste of mana. Spells of the same type will be 3x more effective. Spells of varying types will yield different results. Chance of backlash: 50%
Novice Mana infusion (rank 3): Infuse your mana into a spell to amplify its effects. At your current rank, you must use all remaining mana. Increase in rank to gain more control over how much mana you expel.
Fjorgyn: A Rebel Rises Page 18