Beastborne- Mark of the Founder

by James T Callum

  “Prowlox can do muchly!”

  Hal took that as a “yes” and proceeded to find a large enough clearing to dump his inventory. All of the goblin helms, masks, leathers, and suits of armor along with any weapons and koblin-made items were separated into their respective piles by the quick-footed koblin.

  He had barely finished emptying the considerable amount of items when Prowlox turned to him and held up a few hexagonal patches. “These for you.”

  Hal looked at them curiously. “I don’t know what to do with them.”

  The koblin let out a high-pitched giggle. “Silly Savior-Hal was just trading tongue-flaps with Slyrix Quickfingers, yes?” Hal nodded. “Take and bring to Slyrix, he showing how to use.”

  Hal took the patches and struck off in search of Slyrix.

  “Savior-Hal back so near-soon?” called Slyrix, kicking through a pile of shredded cloth looking for something to work with.

  “Prowlox said you knew what to do with these?” Hal offered the three [Gobbiebag Patches] to the koblin.

  “Psshkoh!” Slyrix cried. “Give, give!” The koblin snatched the patches and turned them over in his hands. The dark lenses of his goblin mask made him look beady-eyed but even through the mask, Hal could tell the koblin was excited. “Turnsies turnsies!”

  In a blur of motion, the koblin was on Hal, turning him until the [Gobbiebag] was visible. He wasn’t sure how the koblin did that.

  Slyrix whipped out a black needle he hadn’t seen before and a length of thread that glinted silver and gold.

  Before Hal could think to jump away from the diving needle headed straight for his hip, Slyrix was finished. His hand worked in a blur so fast that Hal hadn’t much time to react.

  Your [Gobbiebag] has been upgraded to 35 Inventory.

  Your [Gobbiebag] has been upgraded to 40 Inventory.

  Your [Gobbiebag] has been upgraded to 45 Inventory.

  “That’s what those patches were for?” Hal asked in wonder.

  Slyrix nodded. “Enbiggening hold-things! Very useful. Very rare.”

  For some reason Hal found himself tempted to reach down and hug the koblin but figured it would seem offensive. They were so adorable to him with their strange vernacular and helpful mannerisms.

  Though he couldn’t help but wonder what was beneath the masks.

  Now that, I know they wouldn’t want me poking my nose into.

  “Thanks again, Slyrix.”

  One inventory slot lighter, Hal went to see if Buffrix had managed to select the rest of the koblin leaders.

  There was still so much to do. Koblins needed to be outfitted, those that were well enough to fight had to be given weapons, some method of hauling as much food as possible needed to be devised and they had to make sure they could leave before it was too dark out.

  The entire time Hal was worried the rest of the goblin clan – if there was any – would come back. He hadn’t seen any gnolls in the battle with the goblins, which suggested to him that they either paired up from different dens or the groups with the gnolls were still out patrolling.

  Which meant that they would be back sooner rather than later. Hal wanted to be long gone when they returned.

  22

  The hours passed by in a blur as Hal found himself involved in one task or another. Unsurprisingly, Hal found Lootlox only when the koblin came up to him and declared that she was appointing herself one of the koblin leaders.

  He only saw Elora in passing, and the look she gave him made him walk a little taller. Where he expected annoyance, he found grudging respect. A look of hope.

  Hal had given his 4 [Simple Packs] out to the koblins that were overseeing their own section of the group. They had stuffed them full of food, supplies, and to each of them, Hal also gifted an [Adventurer’s Kit]; which had a slew of useful items in the small case, including 10 rations for a full day, a backpack with 10 slots, and a tent among other things.

  Lootlox Bangpots and Buffrix Eargone led the groups with the largest amount of children as the kids seemed to have taken a liking to the two koblins best and were more than happy to stay in their company.

  Prowlox Bandylegs, Jabkix Pigeonpecs, and a recovered Lurklox Dhalmelneck headed up the bulk of the koblin fighting force. Prowlox took Buffrix’s place in the party. They would move in a formation of three cells around the two vulnerable groups at the center. That way if any attacks came, they would meet fierce resistance before a child or defenseless koblin was ever in danger.

  “Why not swap me out for Buffrix?” asked Hal once Elora had sent invitations for the party to the koblins.

  “Buffrix can heal just fine from where he will be,” she said, restringing her bow and testing out the draw on it. “Priority should be given to those that are farther away. We can keep Buffrix and Gibberbox close by at the center. Right next to you. And,” Elora added, dropping her voice. “I do not know if I could handle being in a party full of koblins only. I can only understand one out of every ten words.”

  Hal chuckled and let it go at that.

  “Elora?” Hal asked. She didn’t look up but he could tell she was listening by the way her hands rested on the graceful curve of her bow. “I was hoping you might answer some questions about the discordant stone.”

  “Once we’re on the road,” she offered, her gray-blue eyes darting around to the nearby koblins engaged in one task or another but very clearly listening in on anything Hal said.

  Hal took the words for what they were, a dismissal. They were also a keen reminder that perhaps, his ignorance was best shown to as few people as possible.

  By the time everybody was geared up and headed out, the gray sky was beginning to darken. Just once, I’d like to see the sun.

  The exterior of the cave let out into the rough foothills of a densely wooded forest that had been clear-cut and scorched for dozens of yards in a rough half-circle away from the cave.

  Crude guard towers swayed in the stiff wind that blew through the clearing. It was eerily quiet save for that mournful wind. Elora pointed to the left, down a rocky path that faintly resembled a roadway and wound its way down the rocky hillside and into the clearing below.

  “Would they still be where we made camp?” Hal asked.

  “No,” Elora answered at his side. “They would have moved on if nobody was badly wounded and formed a wide perimeter miles apart. We’ll run into one of them eventually if we continue on our way to the nearest Sanctuary. That’d be Murkmire. Once we drop off the refugees we’ll swing around to the south and head toward the Shiverglades.”

  “Which is what, exactly?” Hal had no idea what the geography of the area was much less where any towns or cities were. If they even had that. Sanctum-Fallwreath seemed to be large as any city on Earth but he hadn’t gotten a good look at it to really tell.

  “We recently passed about two days south of Amberhearth before we were ambushed,” Elora explained. “If we hope to find any aid it would be in Murkmire but our original plan was to head south to Withermere.

  “There are sympathizers there that are too far from Sanctum-Fallwreath to be controlled with any reliable degree and it’s too far to send enough guard presence so it’s mostly locals. And they understand how poorly the Founder has let the region fall. But we can’t go there now.”

  “Why, if we could get help there that makes the most sense to go there, does it not?”

  “It is a hard journey and with such a group....” She shook her head. “I do not wish to press the children any more than we must. Murkmire is closer and while the Founder still holds some sway there it is reduced greatly. It’s mostly a merchant city. Besides, we may be able to garner some sympathy for the children we have saved.

  “The Council of Murkmire will know where most of these children hail from. They are too far from Mistmarch or Amberhearth and likely are from surrounding villages in this area. Unfortunately, I don’t know the area that well, only the major Sanctuaries and Sanctums. But we’ll need to keep the koblins back. Ther
e’s no telling how the people will react to seeing them.”

  Hal didn’t like that but he understood the pragmatism. He couldn’t imagine the koblins hurting a fly. They didn’t even eat meat.

  The koblins deserved recognition for their role in the fight as well. Without them, Hal would have been dead. But he also knew how horrible people could be and he didn’t doubt for a second that most could not tell a koblin from a goblin.

  I’ve been around them for a while now and I’m still not sure aside from the lack of them trying to kill me. If that’s all that separates them, then that’s one difficult distinction to make.

  “Hold on, clarify something for me,” Hal said.

  Elora shot him a curious look.

  “Originally it seemed like there was nothing but Sanctums. You made it seem like people would be insane to live anywhere else. Is Murkmire a Sanctum?”

  “No,” she said, casting her eyes to the trampled grass beneath her feet. “I don’t fully understand the magic involved but what I do know is that a Founder is responsible for nurturing a Manaseed into a Manatree. That much we are allowed to know as common knowledge.

  “What we don’t know is why Sanctum-Fallwreath has a fully grown Manatree while Murkmire has a stunted sapling. The protection it provides is but a fraction of what the Manatree at Sanctum-Fallwreath gives but it’s still enough for a town to thrive.

  “They are called Sanctuary Towns. Withermire, Mistmarch, Amberhearth, Murkmire, they’re all Sanctuaries. Villages, homesteads, and settlements are surviving by the grit of their inhabitants. Most don’t make it very long but a few have survived a long while by keeping themselves sheltered and in small numbers.”

  “Large groups of people attract Manastorms?” Hal guessed.

  “That and raiding bandits, beastmen, and other monsters.”

  That made more sense to Hal. At first, he had thought there was nearly nothing outside of Fallwreath but that would have been nearly impossible. Even if the world was practically dead, there would be enough people for more than a handful of cities.

  “So, I’m not likely to run into this Founder in Murkmire?” Hal asked. It didn’t seem likely that Elora would want him within sight of anywhere a Founder might find him if she could avoid it.

  The last time hadn’t gone so well and the Founder didn’t even know he was there. He knew exactly what would have happened if the prison guards saw his mark.

  “Definitely not. He’s all but forsaken it, like most of the towns. The Council runs Murkmire, it’s a lively trade-centric town. The Founder is still viewed somewhat favorably there, so we’ll need to make sure to tread carefully but I don’t foresee any issue.” Elora locked eyes with Hal. “I would never ask you to walk into the den of a Founder.”

  Hal averted his eyes and they lapsed into silence while he thought over everything she had said.

  They entered into the darkness of the forest and the koblin leaders ignited their torches. It had been one of the last things Hal had remembered to do and was glad for it.

  While it would make them a bigger target, it would make sure no children were forced to scramble about in the dark. Hal figured they had enough of that while they were imprisoned and wanted to avoid reminders of that time.

  More to the point, the torches would make the group highly visible. Any animals or creatures looking for an easy meal would – he hoped – steer clear of the large force.

  Even with the torchlight, the light was incredibly dim and the densely packed trees forced them to meander and spread out, making what light they did have even more stretched.

  Thankfully, that made it easier to talk in relative privacy with Elora. Once they had gotten well underway the koblins had each taken the shepherding of their own groups seriously and watched over them like worried mother hens.

  “You have recently attained Level 10?” Elora asked without preamble after an hour or more of silence.

  Hal had been filled with so many other thoughts he completely forgot about his pending questions about the discordant stone.

  “Yeah, why?”

  “Because that means you’ve finally finished your NLs, your Novice Levels. They are the first 10 Levels any person gains. Some people are still Novices well into adulthood.

  “You’ll find a lot of people are required to stay Novices to accept citizenship in some towns and cities. It keeps the peace according to the Founder, he can keep track of who takes on what Class.” Elora’s words dripped venom.

  “It makes it easier to control people, you mean.”

  She merely nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. He found himself a little disappointed not to see the telltale point of an elven ear. Though he thought he saw a slight resemblance. Elora had the same calm grace that many of the elven Rangers possessed.

  “After your NLs you can take on any Class you want. Have you got anything in mind?”

  “I have a few Classes that are high affinity, something called Chimera Knight is the highest at over seventy-percent. Thief isn’t far behind,” Hal answered, stretching his arms above his head.

  “Never heard of it,” Elora said. “That’s good though. Most people have to wait months or years to get affinity in even the basic Classes like Thief and Warrior.” She caught Hal’s disappointed look and added, “Just because they’re basic doesn’t mean they are weak. Unless you’re dead-set on a specific Class, it is best to fill out your three Classes as fast as possible.”

  “What do you mean?” Hal asked, swerving around a large oak tree.

  “You can only take three Classes, anything more apparently has severely negative consequences. Though, considering that information is direct from teachings that the Founder finds acceptable, there is reason to doubt it.

  “Each Class takes the same amount of experience to Level Up. Taking a Class from zero to one is a hundred experience, and up to Level two is three-fifty. By having three Classes, you essentially get to triple-dip in attribute points.

  “Let me give you an example,” Elora continued, adjusting a strap on her armor. “Your Level should now reflect your total Levels. Right now it will stay at ten until you gain another Class. Once you gain a Level in that, it will go up.

  “Your Level could be twenty but you might only have ten Levels in Novice, three in another Class, and another seven in a second Class. The total is still twenty even though each individual Class is different.”

  “And for each of those Levels I’ll get attribute points,” Hal said, catching on. “So it would be in my best interest to take three Classes immediately so I can make use of the low experience required to Level Up, right?”

  “Yes, and no. Classes give access to unique magic, perks, traits, and abilities. I saw you do some unique looking magic back in the cave, I bet that came from a Quest for a Class?”

  Hal blew out a long sigh. “Yeah. I’m starting to see what you mean now. It’s a balancing act then? Between strong Classes and getting more to utilize the quick stat growth?”

  “For the most part,” Elora agreed. “What I meant was if you already have Thief at full affinity and you can complete the Class Quest it gives you, don’t hold back simply because you think it’s a weak Class. It may not be a Fabled Class but it’s strong on its own and the quick boost to your stats is not something I would dismiss.

  “It takes roughly the same amount of experience to go from Level seventeen to eighteen as it does from Level zero to Level ten. That’s fifty attribute points compared to five. Now double that - because we’ll assume you would already have a Class besides Novice at that point.”

  Hal let out a low appreciative whistle. “All right, I get it now. But isn’t that sacrificing short-term gains for long-term?”

  “How do you figure?” Elora didn’t seem to disagree, the look she gave Hal was assessing and curious. Like she didn’t expect Hal to bring it up.

  “Well, first what’s a ‘Fabled Class’?”

  “An unusually rare and powerful Class,” Elora answer
ed, rolling her wrist as she explained. “They’re typically rare because the requirements to get their affinity or Class Quest is obscure or difficult.”

  So that’s what he might be able to unlock if he completed more hidden objectives for his Chimera Knight Quest. He would need to keep that in mind then. And besides, it just proved his point.

  If he bided his time, foregoing short-term gains right then - such as unlocking Chimera Knight as soon as possible - he would miss out on an even stronger Class. And likely as a result, he would be stronger in the long run.

  As they continued through the woods, Hal explained his point of view to her. How it might be better to wait until a particularly useful or strong Class was unlocked instead of diving on the first thing he gets to full affinity.

  With only 3 Classes available, it made each Class all the more important. Each should be complementary in some way.

  Elora was quite for a long while after that, eventually saying, “Somebody’s been increasing their intelligence.”

  “Ha, ha,” Hal said.

  “Didn’t you have questions about the discordant stone?” Elora reminded him.

  “Oh right, yeah. So, I take it the discordant stone isn’t like… a physical object right?” At her incredulous stare, Hal chuckled. “Yeah, thought not. So what are the limitations then? I learned a bit about it and Focused Classes but I feel like there’s something obvious I’m missing.”

  A koblin voice spoke up before she could answer, <“Miss harm-bow, kobbie look-sees spy many swift-waters ahead. Please to be advising.”>

  Elora nodded and broke away from Hal. She cleared the nearest group of koblins with a springing leap that took her a full ten feet into the air and nearly twice that across until she was out of sight.

  He spotted Elora up ahead, standing stock-still. Curious, Hal wound his way through the overgrowth and around the koblins to find out what was the matter.

  “What’s wrong?” Hal asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

  Without a word, she strode forward to the large oak tree in front of them. Only once they got close did Hal notice the pole sticking out of a mass of vines.