“Darkness” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 50: DeFrantis

The morning sun in the eastern sky cast shadows before DeFrantis and Antonerri as they walked along the waterfront. Shops and taverns were beginning to open up, and dockworkers were unloading barges. Others, who just brought wares to sell, were laying out baskets of grain or fruits onto rugs and blankets on the side of the street. She had never been to Dirae before. It was not a large city, like Twynne Rivers, or even Portstown, but where most villages were little more than a collection of a few hovels where farmers and peasants gathered at the end of the work day, this one had streets of cobblestone, a series of docks on the river, and buildings and business.

The streets along the river were pretty clean, too, but as they walked past the side streets she could see that the paving ended quickly, and the mess and mud quickly replaced it.

Antonerri finally spoke, “So where would we find this dark market?”

“In Twynne Rivers, the dark market isn’t a place. It’s more of a network. It’s a lot harder to shut down that way. Where you go depends on what you’re wanting to find.”

He nodded. “...Or what you’re wanting to sell.”

“Yes. So, once we find a hub, they might be able to direct us to the right place.”

“Once, while I was a guard, our unit was sent to break up one such hub. We just went where we were told and arrested them.”

DeFrantis laughed. “It was probably another dark marketer who sent you. They must have had an argument over a payment or something. You were just doing the cleanup!” She nudged his arm and smiled.

He laughed, too, but not as enthusiastically. “So, what should we be looking for? Do we want to act like we’re buying something?”

She thought a moment, and stopped walking. She looked around at the shops.  “No, I think we’ll be sellers. But we’ll have to get you some nicer clothes. And with something other than the Church’s seal. It’s a good thing you shaved. The half-beard wouldn’t have worked.”

“Worked for what?” He was genuinely confused. “What will we say we’re selling?”

“That's easy,” She said, “You will be selling me.”

<<<>>>

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“A Very Close Shave” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 45: Antonerri

Antonerri awoke disoriented. Morning light fell across his face, making it hard to see. He blinked and rolled over, then rose up on one arm. He was on a bed. A nice one, actually, padded well with what felt like a feather mattress. With real blankets.

Wait. How did I get here?

As he wiped his eyes with his other hand, the memories of the last few days flowed into his head. The last bed he had slept in was in the barracks of the Church Guard, and it was made of rough straw. That seemed like a completely different world, now.

He sat up, then stood. The wizard girl had gotten them rooms at this inn. For a small town, there was one pretty fancy inn, and she had found it. “We should all get a good night’s sleep!” she had said. All but the Giant. He had wanted to stay with the barge. Antonerri had offered to stay as well, but Granthurg insisted he go. The room itself was small, but nicely furnished. The rug felt good on his bare feet. There was a small table with a wash basin and soap. He rubbed his hand across his face and felt the four days of stubble.

He crossed the room again and reached for his pouch. He pulled out a dagger and unsheathed it as he walked back to the table. It was finely crafted and had a good edge. He had picked it up after the fight on the barge. It must have dropped from one of the attackers’ belts. He set it on the table and poured water from a pitcher into the basin. He rinsed off his hands, and got them soapy, spreading the foam over his chin.

His hand shook a little as he raised the dagger to his neck. Memories of the accusations of the Confessor Priest flashed through his mind. I am unworthy. I am rejected. I have nothing, and nowhere to go. It would be simple. It would be quick. The wondering would be over.

He stood, transfixed, feeling the cold edge of the blade on his dripping throat. He took a deep breath and shifted the dagger in his fingers. He drew down, scraping away the soap and the beard.

No. Not yet. I have to help find the children, and free them. Maybe then I can find some peace, one way or another.

When he finished shaving, he dressed. He hesitated to put on his tunic, looking at the emblem of the three star lights over the left breast. Finally, having nothing else to wear, he put it on. Then, he stepped out into the hallway, looking for DeFrantis.

<<<>>>

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“How Did You Do That?” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 40: Karendle

For a moment, everyone on the barge just looked at each other. No one seemed to know who anyone else was, or why they were there. All except the giant, who was frantically looking around trying see where the elf girl had gone.  The shadow wizard girl and her friend were pretty badly beaten up, and looked like they didn’t know who they were fighting, or why. Their attackers were looking at the fire wizard in the middle of the boat like he was some sort of avenging angel, and he wasn’t there to rescue them. Suddenly something clicked in Karendle’s mind.

They’re from the Wizard’s Guild! But that revelation brought more questions. What are they doing here? And why do they want the girl?

She reached into her pouch as she scrambled to her feet. Well, I don’t care! I’m here to catch wizards, and I hate the Wizard’s Guild, so that’s all the understanding I need!

She pulled out the entrapment oculus, and pointed it at the mage in the middle of the barge, shouting, “I’m taking you down, wizard!” Surprised faces turned to look at her as the oculus glowed. A silvery light enveloped the man, drawing him toward the oculus. The light surrounded him, then shrunk around him, shrunk with him, and finally sucked him into the glowing stone.

Karendle looked at the grey gem in her hand and mused, “Amazing! It worked!”

The silent confusion was shattered by the giant’s grunts of rage as he rushed at the man who had attacked him, swinging his hammer before him. “Get! OFF! My! BOAT!” He landed a solid hit, smashing the man into the railing, which broke and sent him tumbling into the river.

The one in the white tunic rolled from his prone position on the deck to grab his sword and slash the legs of the man who had been beating him. He screamed and fell to the deck, where he was kicked off the other side of the barge. He then crawled over to the shadow mage, and helped her sit up. They, Karendle, and the giant looked from one to the other, in awkward and confused silence.

That silence, moments later, was broken by a crackling sound from the bow of the boat. As everyone looked, reality again distorted and swirled, finally spitting the elf girl, screaming, out onto the deck, sprawled across a few of the cargo crates.

“Thissraelle!” The giant ran to her and lifted her up.

“Thanks!” She shivered, clinging to his warmth, “Can I get a blanket?”

As they made their way to the steering platform, the soldier in white asked her, “What happened to the one who had you trapped?”

She smiled, “I left him in The Vast.” Karendle didn’t understand, and obviously neither did anyone else. “I’ll explain later.”

The giant wrapped Thissraelle in a blanket, then handed blankets to the others before climbing onto the platform and steering the barge out over the dark river. As she wrapped herself up in the blanket’s soft comfort, the giant sighed, then muttered, “West. West is Best.”

<<<>>>

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“Who is Who?” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 39: Karendle

Noises from the barge jolted Karendle awake. She lifted her head up from the table on the wharf where she was sitting. She had been watching the giant and the barge diligently, but had drifted off to sleep at some point in the early night. She stood up and looked down the pier, and saw three strange men on the barge fighting with the giant and the others. Hey, who is this? She saw one of them jump at the dark-cloaked wizard girl. They’re after my quarry! I’ve got to stop this!

With a leap, Karendle took off running down the pier. Her sleepy grogginess and the swaying of the pier made it a bit difficult for her to maintain her balance. As she got to the barge, she was about to jump on board, but was surprised to see it suddenly lurch in the water, smashing into another nearby barge.

She regained her balance, took a step back, and threw herself over the widening gap of water, landing hard on the foredeck.

She scrambled to her feet, and looked aft over the cargo crates. There’s the giant, fighting one of the men, and there’s another that looks like he’s tangled up in darkness. That’s got to be the doing of the girl I’m after! But where is she? I can’t see over all this cargo!

She jumped up and clambered to the top of the pile of crates. From there, she could see much better. I’d better get my oculi ready this time! She grabbed here pouch, then looked out over the scene. The wizard girl was lying on her back, and she didn’t look good. Next two her two men were wrestling, and beyond them, the man who had been wrapped in darkness was freed and jumping to his feet. He seemed to be rushing to get to the stern where a young elven girl was sitting in lanternlight.

A sudden loud whoop of laughter from above caught everyone’s attention. Seemingly out of the dark sky, into the wash of the light of the lanterns and oculi, a young man, or maybe an elf, floated quickly down onto the deck in front of the platform. He spun toward the man rushing aft and shouted, “Oh, no, you don’t! She’s mine!”

He pointed at the man and a hot pulse of fire shot from his hand, hitting the attacker squarely on the chest, bursting brightly and loudly, and blowing him up and off the barge. He splashed hard into the Wynne. The Elf girl screamed.

Karendle dropped to the crates, trying to hide. My Holy Lights! Another Wizard! This IS my lucky day! She looked again. There was something familiar about the pattern of his red and blue shirt that she had seen before. Not the colors, but maybe the patterns or the markings?

A sudden wave hit the barge, and hit it hard. It flipped everyone off their feet, and off the deck. As Karendle landed in the now loose pile of crates, she scurried to regain her balance.

The Elf screamed again, and yelled something Karendle didn’t understand. When she could see again, the barge was stable in the water, but everyone was climbing back to their feet. All except the girl, who was being held tight by yet another young man, this one definitely human, and wearing clothing similar to the other wizard. He gripped her tightly around her waist, his sleeves and arms glowing white with bright light.

“Hold still!” He yelled at her, “We’re just taking you home!”

She shouted and kicked at him, to no avail. Then she stopped, and seemed to focus her mind. There was a sizzling, crackling sound, and in an instant they were gone. It was as if reality itself swallowed them both and gulped them down.

“THISSRAELLE!” a deeper voice screamed. The giant lumbered to where she had been on the platform and fell to the deck.

<<<>>>

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“What is Going On?” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 38: DeFrantis

“This doesn’t look good,” DeFrantis said, scowling at the men at the bow of the barge.

Antonerri turned. Three men had just stepped off the pier onto the barge. The way the Giant had stepped back defensively was telling. They weren’t too far away, so DeFrantis and Antonerri could hear the conversation easily in the otherwise quiet night.

“What is it you’re looking for?”

“Oh, don’t play like you don’t already know!” One of the men jumped up on some cargo boxes and began to move across them, toward the stern, toward DeFrantis. He was looking closely at each crate as he crawled over it. The other two reached into their cloaks and drew out short swords.

“Oh this is definitely not good.” She whispered. She saw Antonerri grip his own stolen sword more tightly, keeping it hidden from the view of the assailants. “What have we gotten ourselves into?” I don’t know who’s good or bad, here. Granthurg’s been very kind and gave us a good price on our passage, but he looks to be tangled up in some real problems!

The apparent leader jabbed his sword at Granthurg, who jumped back. “Hey, easy, there...”

“Just tell me where it is, and nobody has to get hurt!” He jerked his head a bit, signaling his companion. The other man ran around the boxes to the other side of the barge, heading toward the stern.

The giant staggered backward, calling out, “Thissraelle! Get the barge moving!” He was trying to get to her without losing sight of the one threatening him. The man followed, holding the sword steady before him.

What to do? She glanced with worry at Antonerri. He was watching the drama unfold intently. As the two went past him, he spun and lunged at the human, knocking him off his feet into the railing. The two of them tumbled to the deck. The giant and DeFrantis both looked on for a moment, surprised by the attack.

“GRANTHURG!” A high voice called out. They both turned to see a huge double-handed warhammer floating quickly through the air. He reached up and grabbed it, then reset himself for the battle.

DeFrantis saw the other man moving past the corner of her eye. He was almost to the steering platform where Thissraelle was standing, arms still raised to guide the hammer. DeFrantis quickly reached into her own will. She drew the shadows from around the crates and the pier upward, into the air, twisting around the man, binding him fast in darkness.  Thissraelle looked at her in surprise, then smiled quickly, and jumped back to her task on the platform.

Just as quickly, DeFrantis was knocked to the deck as another assailant landed on her from behind. She wriggled and struggled beneath him, feeling a sharp cutting pain in her arm. As she twisted, she found her face pressed to the floor as fingers twisted into her hair and pulled her head back. She saw the brief flash of lantern light reflected off a bloody dagger in front of her face.

I’m going to die!

Another heavy weight hit her and the man on her back, slamming them both flat, and knocking her breath out and smacking her head onto the deck. In another instant, the others rolled off her back and she could breathe again. She looked and saw Antonerri wrestling her attacker to the deck. Who had the advantage was not at all clear, though.

She tried to lift herself up, but one hand slipped on something wet and warm. She looked at it and saw blood. It hurt, too, higher up toward the shoulder, and it felt weak. Is that my blood? She managed to lift herself up with her other arm. She could hear the clang of the sword on the hammer to her left. To her right, Antonerri was on his back trying to fend off fist blows being thrown to his face.

The barge lurched in the water and, with a loud crunch, banged against another barge berthed beside it. The impact flipped her over onto her back. It lurched again, as it began to move away from the pier.

She felt dizzy, and that made it hard to get up. She could feel her will slipping away, releasing the shadows holding the third man. She tried to maintain their strength, but finally had to let them dissipate. .

What did we get ourselves into?

<<<>>>

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“Headin’ Out, A Little Early” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 35: Granthurg

Granthurg dropped the scrolls into his trunk and closed the lid. He locked it, and pushed it back out of the way on the deck. All the while his mind was racing with questions. I don’t understand. This isn’t right. Why do we need to leave right away? We still have a few pieces of cargo we haven’t offloaded! 

He shivered. The night was cold, and he felt it more than usual. He stood, turned and almost knocked Thissraelle over. He steadied her, stepped back, and looked down. She had a concerned look on her face.

“Sorry.” He moved around her and walked past his other passengers toward the steering platform.

“Granthurg! What’s wrong?”

He kept walking, taking a step up onto the platform.

“Granthurg!” She insisted.

He knelt by the steering oar at the stern and reached behind it, feeling for the lock he knew was hidden there.

“Granthurg! What’s going on?” She grabbed his arm and turned him toward her. “Look, I’ve only known you a few days, but you look like you’re upset.”

He nodded, then reached around again, and pulled up the rusty chain and lock. He pulled his keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. “We have to leave. I don’t know what’s going on, either, and that’s probably why I’m upset.” He pulled the chain free, then backed up on his knees. She followed. He swung open a small trap door, about the size of a couple of the deck planks. The lantern light above shone in and reflected off of something inside.

“There it is. Now if I can only figure out how to use it.” It was a stone, about the size of a human’s fist, of fine, polished jade. It was mostly green, but had some veins of brown running through it.

She leaned over to look, and recognized it as an Oculus Creator, infused with the powers of nature. “This is what Rinkmorr uses for the power to drive the barge upriver, just like I was saying.”

“Tonight he told me he needs us to leave, and go west. Something very bad is going on, and I don’t know what. Some people are after something he has. I don’t even know how to make this thing work.” He paused, then looked at her intently, “Do you?”

“I don’t know natural magics, but I’ve used oculi lots of times. I could try.”

He smiled for the first time that night. “Thanks. That’s all any of us can do.”

“What did Rinkmorr do to make it work?”

Granthurg chuckled, “He’d just sit there with his eyes closed, looking like a doof, and the boat would go. Then, when it was moving, he’d get up and steer like normal.” Granthrug stood. “Give it a try. I’ll get the barge ready.”

She reached in and felt the stone. Granthurg walked back toward the bow, and began to undo the mooring. He called out to the other passengers, resting on the cargo deck. “I hope you good folk don’t mind, but we’ve had a bit of change in plans. We’ll be casting off and heading up the Lesser Wynne tonight.”

DeFrantis and Antonerri glanced at each other, and DeFrantis spoke, “For us, the sooner we leave, the better.”

“Oh, no. No, no, no.” A deep voice from the pier surprised them. “You’re not leaving quite just yet.” Granthurg’s head snapped around to see three men standing on the pier, bathed in the light of the fore oculi. They were cloaked in dark colors. The leader was quite tall, even for a human, and his long, scraggly hair covered much of his face. He jumped onto the barge, along with his two companions. Granthurg stepped back, defensive. He looked back at Thissraelle, and saw his hammer sitting on the deck near her. He looked back at the men.

The leader spoke again, with a menacing gravel, “Of course, if you just give us what is ours, then we can all be on our way as soon as you like.”

<<<>>>

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“Lost and Found” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 33: Karendle

By the time she was tired of looking for her quarry, the sun was hanging a bit low, tinting the buildings tops of the InnerWall with orange.

The night before, she had seen them escape the guard tower, and even managed to knock them to their knees with an ill-planned explosion of magical power from her oculus. That woke the soldiers on guard as well as the neighborhood. She tried to rush off after the two fugitives, but the soldiers saw her move and began to pursue her, instead. This was only made worse by the people who heard the bang and came running out of pubs and homes to see what was going on.

In the unfamiliar city, it hadn’t been easy for her to lose them. Fortunately, there were many roads and alleys for her to disappear into. She spent the night in fitful sleep under awnings and behind storage barrels, waking and moving frequently.

As the morning sun was starting to show a faint glow in the sky, she finally found a stable with a pile of straw and sank into exhausted slumber.

She awoke just before midday, and slid back out into the street. It was busy enough and she managed to blend her way along, still avoiding any contact with soldiers or constables.

After a meal in an inn, she had wondered what her next step was. She could keep searching for them, or try to find another wizard to capture. For now, she decided to resume her search. It was difficult at first to find the same guard tower, and, after following the direction of their flight into the city, it became clear that she had lost any real chance of finding them.

Still, she had spent the afternoon wandering the the streets of the InnerWall and finally found herself on the northern wharfs of the RiverFront.

By that time, it was getting to be early evening, and she sat down on a public bench, weary and needing a rest.

This is much harder than I thought. There are so many ways for someone to vanish. I’m quite hungry as well, but I need to be careful with my coin. She opened up her purse and reached in, shifting the oculi aside to find a few gold pieces remaining. I guess I’ll be OK. I just want to bring back a wizard. I want to make this happen!

As the sun began to lower, she stood and walked upriver only casually glancing around her. A fried fish at a pub here on the river would be pretty nice, right about now.

As she stepped toward a pub she walked past a couple of open air table of giants, river runners and barge steersmen, talking and sharing ale. While most were talking among themselves, a few were talking with others, non-giants. As she passed she could hear them talking about cargo rates and passenger fares. A lady seemed to be booking passage to the west.

She walked on, then paused. That woman’s voice. I’ve heard it before. Karendle turned to look back at the table. One of the giants, bulky, with a shaved head and a vest, was walking down the pier toward the barges. With him walked a man in white soldier’s livery, with a diminutive woman in a black cloak. In an instant, she recognized them. That's her! I can't believe my luck!

She quickly reached for her purse, and rushed back. Before she got to the table, she paused. Oh no. There are a lot of people here. I'm not making the same mistake twice!

She watched as they all boarded one of the barges. I'll just take my time and watch. Maybe tonight the situation will be better.

She backed away and found a small barrel to sit on, and waited.

<<<>>>

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“Back at The Chapel” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 32: DeFrantis

DeFrantis threw open the door behind the altar in the small chapel and began scattering the small boxes and other debris stored there.  She pushed blankets and old sacramental robes aside until she cleared a corner of the bare floor. She looked at the tiles for a moment, trying to remember which one held her prize.

Antonerri came in behind her. “What are you doing?”

She ignored him, but simply began tapping lightly on the floor tiles. At random, at first, but then, when she got no results, she started on one side and methodically moved from one to another.

“I’ve figured some things out in the few days I’ve known you, but if you want my help, it might be useful to tell me what’s going on.”

“You don’t need to come with me.” She said, in a brusque tone. “They are in grave danger and they need me.”

“Who are ‘they’? What are you looking for?” He stepped forward.  In that moment, she started clawing at a dusty tile, but she couldn’t get under it.

She grunted in frustration, then looked around. Seeing Antonerri standing near, she said, “Give me your sword!” She held out her hand.

He flipped it around, holding it carefully by the blade, and placing the hilt into her open palm. She grabbed it and, using both hands, easily wedged it under the tile and pulled it up. She flipped it aside, revealing a hole underneath. Setting the sword down, she leaned over the hole and reached deep into it. She came up with a small pouch.

“What’s that?” Antonerri asked.

She stood up and climbed over the clutter past Antonerri to exit the small room. He followed her out into the main hall.

“DeFrantis!” He called out. She was already halfway through the door when she stopped and turned.

“What?”

“What’s the big secret?”

“It’s not a secret! I’m just focused. I’m worried.”

“About the kids?”

Her shoulders, at first held back in defiance, slouched. “Yes.”

“Who are they? Where are they?” He stepped toward her, off the dais of the altar. When he reached her, he said, “Look, you don’t know me, but in the tower you saved my life. You could have left me there to rot once you got the key. But you brought me out.”

“Well, you took the blasts from the priest that were meant for me! I couldn’t leave you there.”

He put his hand on her shoulder. “OK, then. Let me help you now.”

She sighed and sat down.

“I’ve lived on the streets of the OuterWall most of my life, since I was barely 12 winters old. I learned to live off of scraps and how to avoid trouble. Gradually, I teamed up with other kids my age. As I got older, most of them left off on their own, but more young ones came to me. I took care of them, taught them to protect themselves, to beg, to survive.

“There was one boy who was with me most of those years. He was mean and hard, but he did his part to help take care of everyone.

“One day, not long ago, he told me that someone had offered him money to take the children off to the Umbrawood forest to the west. He tried to talk me into doing it. He said they’d be safe and they’d be out of our way. He said they’d offered a gold piece a head.”

Antonerri looked shocked.

“I was appalled! How could he even think of that? I told him there was no way I’d sell these kids out. How can I sell what I don’t own? Plus, they were probably slavers or worse. I couldn’t do that.”

“Then, when the rains came these last few days, and there was nobody to beg from, I set out to see if I could scrounge a meal. I ended up being captured and held under the tower with you.”

Antonerri finished the story. “And now, it seems that your friend has sold them away.”

She stood up. “I have to find them! I have to help them!”

“What’s that in your hand?”

“Some silver pieces I’ve saved. Hopefully, we can connect with a caravan or a barge travelling west to get us to the forest to search for them.” She held it out so he could see the bulging coins. “You don’t have to come. This isn’t your problem.”

He gestured to the chapel above him, and said, “The Church that once gave me purpose and belonging now considers me a criminal heretic. I have nowhere to go.”

She nodded, and they walked from the chapel.

<<<>>>

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“Where Have All The Children Gone?” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 30: Antonerri

Even though Antonerri had passed through the OuterWall quarter of Twynne Rivers several times, on his way in and out of the city, he had never walked its streets. They weren’t so much “streets” as they were “the muddy spaces between the shanties” in kind of jagged lines. The roughly-made homes were dotted by occasional structures that were made into shops.

Antonerri and DeFrantis had arrived in front of a small church. It was way too small to be called a Cathedral. It had the steeple, of course, and it was a solidly built structure, not like the rundown shanties. There was no abbey, or courtyard, just walls with a roof. The three glowing lights of the Church’s emblem were painted on door.  The windows along the walls were mostly broken, and the outer walls were scraped and dirty. Clearly, this hadn’t been used for worship for a very long time.

Cautiously DeFrantis pushed open the front doors and stepped inside. Antonerri followed. The small chapel looked like it had been lifted up, turned upside down, and shaken before being set back down. There were pews, but they were scattered all over the space. In the empty center, there was a fire pit. All around the floor there was clutter of more recent inhabitants.

Antonerri watched as DeFrantis began to call out names in the little chapel. “Where are you guys? Come on out!” She appeared to be more and more nervous, as time went on and nobody was appearing. She opened a door to what appeared to be a closet behind where the altar used to be, but found it empty as well.

“Nobody’s here,” She said, but it was less a statement of fact than an expression of confusion. “Maybe they’re out begging, but if they were, someone would have had to stay back with Andrina.”

Antonerri had also been looking through the chapel, but was unsure what he had been looking for. “Who lives here?”

“We do!” He could hear a bit of fear in her voice. “There’s a whole group of us. Maybe a dozen or so. Most of them are children, under 10 winters old. They can’t take care of themselves!” She turned to the main door and stepped outside. Again, Antonerri followed.

“This is just an old Three Lights chapel, not a home!” The warm sun on his face was a harsh contrast to the dark worry in DeFrantis’ eyes.

“Well, we found it abandoned, and we made it our home. How can this happen? I was only gone, what, two or three days?” She spun around in the street in front of the chapel, looking one way, then the other. Finally, she sat down on a stone and started mumbling to herself. “If they were chased off, where would they go? They might be in the central circle...”

Antonerri also looked around, still not sure what he was looking for. He saw an older lady pulling a low cart full of breads along the way. The sun had been drying the ground some, but the path was still muddy, and making it rough for her to move the cart. Antonerri stepped across the street.

As he approached, the woman cowered and tried to pull her cart away. He stepped behind the cart and pushed it out of the muddy space and onto the drier ground of the main road in front of the chapel. Unsure what to do, she stood, surprised, and then began pulling the cart down the street.

“Pardon me,” Antonerri spoke up, “Did you pass by this church during the rains these last few days?” DeFrantis looked up as well.

The lady stopped and adjusted her ragged shawl to cover her face more. “No. I was inside” She gestured to the structure she had been coming out of.

“Did you see any of the children that had been staying here?”

“Yes, I did.”

Hearing that, DeFrantis jumped up and came to Antonerri’s side. “What happened? Where are they? What did you see?”

The old lady spoke louder now, and a bit faster. “I saw a young man shouting at them to get into a cart with a horse. It was very strange. They climbed in, one by one. No coats or anything, in the pouring rain. Then another man tossed a tarp over them and gave the young one a pouch. Off they all went, in different directions.” She thought, then added, pointing, “The cart drove off that way.”

DeFrantis reached to Antonerri, and put her hand on his arm to steady herself. Slowly she slouched to her knees. Antonerri stood, unsure what to do. Finally, he spoke to the lady, thanking her.

“She doesn’t look too good, does she?” The lady said, pointing at DeFrantis.

“No, she--”

The lady stepped toward her cart, reached in and brought out a couple of small bread loaves. “Here. She looks like this might do her good. Thanks for helping me.”

He took the loaves and nodded, then watched as she led her cart down the street.

<<<>>>

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“We’re Not Dead?” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 29: Antonerri

Antonerri could hear the harsh voice of the Sacerdotis Confesor echoing in the dark, heavy smoke of his cell. “How dare you interfere! Your punishment will be severe!”

The priest turned in rage and pointed his staff at Antonerri. “Your punishment will be severe!”

He shouted it again, “Your punishment will be severe!” The gem at the head of his staff glowed white. The priest shoved it at Antonerri, and a bright light leapt from the staff and shot directly at his upturned face. His eyes grew wide with fear as the shimmering brightness exploded on his chest--

Antonerri awoke with a jolt and a shiver. His eyes shocked wide open, the bright daylight surprised him. It took a few blinks for him to clear his vision.

He was sitting on cold ground, with his back leaning up against a home. At his left there were a couple of very large water barrels that must’ve given them some cover while hiding last night.

Hiding? Cover? What was I hiding from?

He looked to his right and saw DeFrantis sitting next to him, leaning on him. Her cloaked head was resting on his shoulder as she breathed quietly in her sleep. Her legs were curled up to her chest and tucked under the folds of her black cloak.

Another chilled breeze blew by and he shivered again. His mind began to clear and he remembered the escape of the night before: tipping the table, the explosion, the running, and finally the rest. Once we rested, we must have fallen asleep.

With the awareness came a stiffness of his back and shoulders, and harsh pangs of hunger.

He wiped his fingers across his eyes, then looked over at her. She saved my life. That priest would have happily killed me. She could have left me there. Why did she think I was worth saving?

She took in a sharp breath and lifted her head off his shoulder. She shook her head then looked around, and settled her gaze on Antonerri.

“What...?” She stammered, “What happened? Where are we?”

She stretched out her legs and leaned away from the wall as she looked around. “We’re still in the InnerWall, aren’t we? We didn’t get captured? We’re not dead?”

“No, the one thing I’m certain of is that we’re not dead.” He laughed. “Not for now, anyway.”

She smiled at him, then looked away. Suddenly, she jerked her head up, and scrambled to her feet. “The children! I’ve got to get back to the children!”

“What children? You spoke of them the other day, in the cell. What children?”

“Come on!” She pulled him up to his feet, and added, “We’ve got to get to the OuterWall quarter. They began running through the maze of streets, between carts pulled by animals and street vendors barking for attention. At each street corner, she would pause and look around, then she would grab Antonerri’s arm and lunge off in another direction, until she began to get her bearings in the InerWall of Twynne Rivers city.

<<<>>>

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“Cutting the Rough” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 25: Karendle

When she heard the first pounding on the other side of the tower door, Karendle jerked from her drowsy haze.  She had been watching the tower all night, ever since the Priest had left. She moved from one side of the street to another, sitting here, standing there, trying to look like someone just waiting for a friend.

The second hit on the door made her jump to her feet and grab the bag of oculi. She dug quickly for the red gem, but it was hard to see in the darkness.

There was a third hit and the door smashed open. Two figures stumbled out of the darkness. The first was a man in a white soldier’s tunic that looked similar to the priest’s robes. The second was a smaller figure in a dark cloak, possibly a girl. I’ll bet that’s her! The mage!

They scrambled to their feet, and the girl called out, “This way!” and they began running.

Wait! They can’t get away! Instinctively, she jumped forward and reached out her hand, not fully realizing that it held the ruby oculus. As she pushed it forward with all her urgency, it sparked and threw a tiny burning ball of energy flying down the street toward the fleeing pair. The spark jarred her hand and knocked the oculus loose. As she fumbled to catch it, the energy ball exploded in a loud and bright blast, making her shield her eyes. The oculus and the bag clattered to the street.

After the blast there was a moment’s silence. Karendle dropped to her knees.  Where did it go? I can hardly see! She began to feel across the wet cobblestones. Here it is!

She felt the smooth stone of the street. No, that’s not it! They’re getting away!

Just as she grabbed the bag and found the gem, she heard more footsteps coming out of the tower. She scurried behind some barrells as they took off down the street. Lantern light began to appear in windows up and down the street, and her eyes adjusted back to the darkness.

Muttering dwarvish curses, she ran down the street after the fugitives.

<<<>>>

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“Escape” - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 24: DeFrantis

“Hey! Wake up!” DeFrantis hissed as she leaned over and shook him gently. “Anto-- rini? --rooni? What is your name, again?”

She sat back. Is he even alive? After the confrontation with the confessor priest, he had just laid there in his cell. She had decided to let him rest. After taking the magical blasts, he was obviously hurt. That those blasts had been meant for her weighed on her mind.

She reached out and poked him, again. “Hey!”

This time, he stirred, and groaned. He rolled onto his back, and lifted his hand up to wipe his face. It looked like a painful motion.

“You ARE alive, after all.”

He opened his eyes, and gradually focused. She stood, then leaned over him, offering her hand to help him up. He took it, and they pulled together. She had misjudged her stance and started to fall. She reached behind her, quickly, and grabbed the cell bars for stability. Now braced, she helped him up.

“I’m guessing it’s probably night right now, so it’ll be easier to escape.” He let go of her hand, and stood on his own for a moment. His eyes finally fixed on the two open cell doors.

He smiled. “It looks like the keys worked,” He mumbled.

“Can you walk?”

He just nodded and stepped toward the door. As she walked behind him, she glanced at the small table with the mage’s bane incense burning in the bowl. She would be glad to finally be away from the smog it created, both in the air and in her soul.

The main room door was wooden, with steel banding as reinforcement. She paused in front of it. “I don’t know what’s beyond this door. Do you?”

He nodded. “There’ll be a short hallway, and then the main guard room.”

She slipped the key into the hole carefully, not wanting to make any noise. It clicked, but not too loudly. She pushed on the door and it began to swing out.

It squeaked a little, and she stopped, took a breath, and then pushed again, more slowly. When it was halfway open, Antonneri stepped through. She followed.

A lantern in the guardroom cast a hopeful light down the hallway as they crept forward.  They heard voices ahead, with a rattling noise. Antonneri turned around and gestured a shaking and tossing motion with his hands, then held up two fingers.

There are two of them, playing Lots. The air around her in the hall was a bit musty and smelly, and even still a bit damp from the rain, but she breathed it in eagerly. As it filled her lungs, she could feel it clearing her mind. She felt hope, and a bit of excitement. She nodded to Antonneri. I’m ready!

Antonneri nodded back, then turned and rushed into the room. DeFrantis immediately followed. Antonneri leaned under the heavy wooden table where the guards were playing, and flipped it up onto one of them. As the other stood, surprised, Antonneri swung his fist hard into the man’s gut. The guard dropped, gasping for breath.

DeFrantis took in the room. It was circular, but not large. Opposite the table were two straw mattresses on the floor. Behind them, circling up the wall, was a stone stairway. That’s our freedom!

“This way!” she called out as she darted to the stairway. Antonneri hit the downed guard across the back of his head, and he flopped to the floor, out. Antonneri stepped over him, then reached for his sword.

The other guard was pushing the table off as they started up the stairs. He called out, “STOP THEM! They’re coming up!”

As she came to the top of the stairs, she saw another circular room about the same size, with two more guards leaping from a table and drawing their swords. This room had windows, and a large double door. Cool air wafted through the open window, and she took a deep breath. Her head was clear, now, her will and focus returning. She grabbed Antonneri’s arm, then waved her other hand before her. She summoned her will and the darkness of the night flooded into the room, swelling up from the shadows on the floor until the entire room was shrouded. She heard the soldiers stumble and curse.

Antonneri’s chuckle sounded behind her. “I thought you renounced the shadow.” She yanked his arm and ran toward where she knew the door was. They hit the door, then Antonneri shouldered it. A third hit burst it open, and they stumbled out into the street.

“This way!” She shouted, even though she had no idea where she was. They hadn’t taken more than a few steps when a bright explosion boomed just behind them, knocking them off their feet. Antonneri jumped up and ducked in between two buildings, with DeFrantis running scared behind him.

They ran through the alleyways, avoiding the streets, behind carts and crates and fences, until they finally collapsed, exhausted. As they gasped for breath, she got her bearings. We’re in the InnerWall, near the RiverFront. She leaned against the wall and slid to the ground. With a groan, Antonneri sat beside her and they huddled in silence.

<<<>>>

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"Forgiveness Is The Key!" - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 19: Antonerri

What is she doing? Is she mad? Antonerri was stunned.

“It’s all true.” She spoke with a clear, determined voice. “I confess.” The priest turned toward her, distracted from his ranting.

Antonerri saw her shoulders shaking behind her bowed head. Her hands were raised before her face, pleading for mercy. “I renounce the shadow! I embrace only the light! Please, Father, save me!”

No. Don’t give in. Resist! But Antonerri had no strength to protest, or even call out.

“This is good, child, your punishment may be eased.” Turning toward Antonerri, the priest declared, “You would do well to follow her example!”

She lunged forward, throwing herself down at the priest’s feet and reaching for his robes. “Please, Father! I need redemption!”

The priest jumped back, unwilling to let his robes be sullied by her dirty hands. She shifted, and reached for the guard, grabbing at his tunic and leggings. “Please. I’ve been so wrong! My life is over! Help me be renewed!” The guard ripped his clothing from her hands and stepped back behind the priest. DeFrantis fell to the ground, shaking and sobbing.

The priest and the soldier exchanged glances, then with a nod from the priest, they stepped to the door. As they left, the soldier tossed a few more grains of incense into the bowl, which flared momentarily, adding to the smog in the room. Antonerri watched them go, then closed his eyes against the pain. He heard the door creak shut.

Only silence remained. DeFrantis had stopped crying and was lying, curled up, on the floor.

After a moment, he saw her raise her head and look at the door. Then she looked at him and curled her lips into a faint smile. What is she thinking? How can she confess?

She rolled onto her back and sat up. She brought up her hand, pointing her finger. Dangling from it was the large ring of keys from the guard’s belt.

In spite of his hurting, he shared her smile.

<<<>>>

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"The Price of Redemption" - A Tale of Heroes - Scene 18: Antonerri

Antonerri was jarred from an uneasy sleep by a loud clanging.  Startled, he shook his head and opened his eyes. Across the cell bars, next to the table stood two figures. They were mostly obscured by the dark and the incense smoke, but Antonerri knew who they were. One, a soldier guard, held a lantern low in one hand. It was swinging from side to side, jangling against the keys and tools on his belt, and casting shaking shadows around the room. The man’s other hand swung back and forth, banging a sword against the bars of DeFrantis’ cell.

“Get up, you!” He shouted in a scratchy voice, “Wake up! It’s time to face your charges!”

Next to the guard stood a man in long, elaborate robes of fine white silk, trimmed in yellow and red piping. The robes bore elaborate embroidery of the emblem of the Church of Three Lights. He held a staff with a large, clear gemstone set in the head. He maintained his silence, glaring intently at Antonerri’s huddled form.

Antonerri looked to DeFrantis and saw her stir and sit up from the cold floor. She shook her head and ran her hand across her hair.

The soldier was losing patience. He banged his sword again. “Get up, you! On your knees before the Priesthood!”

She looked up at the priest, and Antonerri could see a shadow of fear cross her eyes, as she became fully awake and aware. Slowly, without removing her gaze, she knelt in the middle of the cell. He could tell already this was not going to go well for her. She needed to be strong, not timid. He shifted forward on the floor.

The priest spoke, “State your name!”

She dropped her gaze. “Are you the Confessor Priest?”

“SILENCE! I - ,” He pounded the staff on the floor for emphasis, “I will ask the questions!”

She flinched and hid her face.

“What is your name?”

“DeFrantis.” She whispered.

“Speak up!”

“DeFrantis. Of the OuterWall.”

The priest snorted haughtily, and opened a small book carried under his arm. He held it in the light of the lantern and thumbed over the pages. “You are accused of thievery and robbery.”

She straightened up, and reached out. “I didn’t actually steal anything! I was attacked!”

“So, you are guilty, then?”

“I was only trying to feed the kids! They’re hungry! There’s no one to look after them!”

The priest pushed his shoulders back, raising the staff up higher.  “I don’t care! I’m not interested in your justifications! You are guilty, and you must be punished! Do you confess?” He stepped forward and hissed, “Do you also admit to being a practitioner of the Power of Shadow?”

Antonerri’s mind raced. Oh, no. This is bad. He’s going to go off on her, and She’s not going to be able to take this! He rolled forward onto his feet.

She hesitated, “I -”

In a deep tone of righteous indignation, he intoned, “Are you a wizard of darkness?”

“No! I’m not!” She said, trembling, “I only know a little -”

“There is your confession!” The priest pointed the staff at her, “So, feel the purging power of light!”

“No!” Antonerri lunged ahead and threw himself at the the bars, reaching through and grabbing the staff. A flash of light exploded in the room, coursed through his arm and body, and sent him flying back into his cell. The fierce pain in his muscles made it hard to breathe.

The priest’s rage was quick. “How dare you interfere! Your punishment will be severe!” He pointed the gem at Antonerri and unleashed another blast of brightness. Antonerri screamed as the power rushed through him.

DeFrantis looked on in horror. “STOP!”

Antonerri rolled over and got up on his hands and knees. He struggled to stand as a third blast threw him up against the back wall of the cell.

“So, this is what happens when you intervene!”

Antonerri lay back against the wall, breathing heavily. His body could not move, shaking in pain. He looked at the priest, then at DeFrantis. I tried. I tried to stop him. 

She rushed to the bars between them as if she wanted to break through them and comfort him. She looked at the priest and soldier in fear. He saw her eyes darting from one to the other. The soldier looked on with a smile, while the priest shouted latin curses at Antonerri.

“Yes, Father. I have sinned,” DeFrantis said. He looked back at her in confusion as she kneeled by the bars before the priest. What is she doing? She bowed her head, “I need redemption.”

<<<>>>

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A Tale of Heroes - Scene 14: DeFrantis

I’ve got to keep trying! DeFrantis stood in the center of her dark stone cell and slowly extended her hands out in front of her. She closed her eyes and focused her mind on the part of the room just beyond her cell bars. She dug deep into herself and gathered her will, her strength.

Please, please! Just let me open a small portal! Let it work!

But she felt nothing.

There was no surge of power from within, no welling up of confidence or determination. Nothing to show her that there was any personal will inside to draw on. She was an empty dry well of... nothing but smoky darkness.

She leaned forward, pushing outward with her hands. “OPEN!” She commanded, pushing,“OPEN!”

She lost her balance and fell to her knees on the cold stone floor. The smoke filled her as she heaved her breathing. She coughed, hard.

Antonerri moved to the bars between their cells and stood, resting his arms on the crossbars. “Powers won’t work here in the dungeons of the towers.” He muttered. “I’ve tried.”

“Why not? Why can’t I do it?”

“It’s not you, it’s the incense they’re burning. It’s called mage’s bane. It suppresses your mood and your will.” She looked at him, confused. She glanced over at the smoldering bowl dimly lit on the table beyond the cells, then turned back to Antonneri. From this distance she could see him a little better than before. He was tall, and his shadowed face was hidden further by a few day’s beard stubble. He was wearing a white tunic, with the three-starred emblem of the Church on his left shoulder. “If you’ve never breathed it before, it’s probably effecting you more. That’s probably why you haven’t wanted your gruel.” He gestured by her cell door, to the half-empty bowl.

She hadn’t noticed it before. Suddenly, her empty aching stomach overtook her and she crawled over to it. It looked horrendous in the dark and smog, and there was no spoon. She picked it up and smelled it, then used her two fingers to scoop a little into her mouth.

It was bland, but not the worst thing she’d ever eaten. She took a second mouthful, then another.

She paused to ask, “So, will we ever leave? Will there be a tribunal?”

“Maybe.” He leaned his head against the bars. “A Sacerdotis Confessoris - a confessor priest - will come in and read you your charges.”

DeFrantis noticed a darker tone to his voice. “What happens then?” She asked, trying not to show her fear.

“That depends on how you answer them. If you confess your sins and beg for repentance and redemption, your punishment may be light, and your freedom quick.” His tone was sharp, almost sarcastic. He turned and walked back into the darkness of his cell. She heard him sit down.

“Aren’t you part of the Church? They should let you go! Your tunic has...” After a moment’s hesitation, she ventured, in a hush, “I’m guessing that you haven’t properly asked for forgiveness, yet, have you?”

He let out a sigh. “It would help if I understood my sins.”

The sorrow in his voice weighed heavily on her like the dark gloom of the cell. She sat back with her gruel. It must just be the incense, right?

<<<>>>

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A Tale of Heroes - Scene 13: DeFrantis

Her first deep breath of consciousness brought a fit of coughing and hacking. The thick air was tough to take in. DeFrantis rolled over onto her belly and tried to lift herself up on her hands and knees.

The second sensation was a sharp, but steady pain in her head and neck. That dropped her back down with a moan. Next came the cold, from lying on a stone floor in dripping wet clothes.

She lay, slightly shivering, as her breathing steadied, and her eyes took in her surroundings. She saw the shadows of the bars of the cell holding her on the stone walls on the opposite side. She raised up on her elbow and squinted through the haze. She could make out the form of a door and a table, and another cell next to hers. She thought she could see a dim shape up against the far wall. Could it be... a person? She couldn’t be sure.

She sat up, slowly, this time, and brought her arms tight to her chest, to hug off the cold. Her cloak was drenched and only making her colder. She unbuckled it and let it fall back.

“Are you awake, now?”

She reflexively jumped and rolled to the corner of the wall where the shadows were darkest, and curled up to be as invisible in the dark as possible. The voice had been quiet, but it had startled her nonetheless.

“I see you are.”

She passed her hand in front of her, and tried to will up the shadows around her, to hide her, but nothing happened. Confused, she tried again. Nothing. She tried controlling her breathing to make herself silent, and waited. But he didn’t move, and said nothing else.

Finally, she spoke. “Who are you?”

“Another prisoner, like you. A heretic, apparently.”

She began to feel another sensation, the pangs of deep hunger. “How long have I been here?” She wondered, out loud.

“Hours, maybe. Probably not more than a day. It’s hard to tell down here.”

“Where is that?” She began to creep toward her cloak.

She heard him sigh. “You’re in a holding cell under one of the guard towers built into the InnerWall. You’re here because you were arrested.”

The scenes of the night played through her mind swiftly. In all her life, she had never been caught stealing. She didn’t like it, and she knew she wasn’t especially good at it, but she’d never been caught, either.

She heard him move, repositioning himself on the floor. He said, “What did you do?”

“I tried to steal some chickens.”

He laughed. “A thief!”

“It’s not like that!” She hissed, “There are kids that are hungry. They count on me!”

“Still...” He thought a minute. “I’m surprised they’d put a thief here in the dungeon. Usually they’d just beat you and toss you back to the OuterWall. You must have done something particularly bad.”

She bristled at that. “No, I didn’t! I just tried to take--”

“Did you use magic?” Her silence was his answer. “I’ll bet that’s it.”

“Magic isn’t illegal. That wouldn’t be right!”

“Do you think ‘legal’ matters down here? Do you think ‘right’ matters?” He laughed again, “Nothing matters down here.”

Then more silence.

<<<>>>

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A Tale of Heroes - Scene 12: Antonerri

Antonneri lay on the cold stone floor of the holding cell, the dark of doom swirling in the smoky air around him. He had been to places like here before, but always on the other side of the bars. A faint glow from a small table across the main room cast faint shadows around him. His muscles ached, his head ached. Even deeper, his heart ached. And through the ache was a core of confusion.

He rolled over and heaved himself up onto his knees and hands. His physical aches were the residue of blasts of light power he had received at the hands of a Sacerdotis Confessoris - The Priest Confessor of the Church of Three Lights. His deeper aches and confusion were also residual of the same blasts.

He had grown up in the shadow of the Church, serving as a young boy, longing for the day that he could join the Holy Guard as a soldier of The Creator. When he achieved that goal, it was the happiest day of his life. As a holy soldier, he was ready to defend the weak and serve the downtrodden.

His early duties were not so exciting, mostly protecting high priests and relics. He didn’t mind, though. He was proud to wear the three lights on his chest.

He sat back on his heels, kneeling into a familiar position of prayer. Please, he began, help me understand!

Memories of a few short days ago filled his mind. He had been assigned with a corps of guard to protect a Count of the Twynne Rivers High Council as he traveled through the InnerWall area of the city, gathering taxes from his subjects. All went well for the first few stops, then they came upon a shopkeeper who couldn’t pay.

Antonerri saw the image of the poor man’s crying face as he begged for more time. The troop was ordered to “render justice” by beating him and seizing his property.

What did I do that was wrong? Please, help me see!

He saw the rage on the face of the Count as Antonerri refused to execute the order. Then he saw the other soldiers of the guard, his colleagues, turn on him, beating him, binding him, and delivering him to the dungeon of the guard tower.

His pains intensified as he remembered The Priest Confessor’s visit.

His own tears streamed down as he prayed. I just want to know why! Am I not there to protect the weak? Why am I here?

The acrid smoke in the room added to the burning in his eyes and the gloom covering his heart. He knew the smell. It reminded him of the times he had captured a thief or a heretic and brought them to a place like this. He had thought they deserved this treatment for their sins and their crimes. All those times he never dreamed he would be one of them.

With a creak, a door near him opened and a brighter glimmer of light broke into the space, broken only by the metal bars that grew up from the floor in front of him to reach the ceiling.

The door parted further and two guards of the city’s militia stepped in, dragging a body in a rain-soaked black cloak between them. In a spare hand, one of them carried a lantern that cast spinning shadows as it swung under his hand. They lurched past his cell. After fussing with the keys, they swung the door to the neighboring cell open, and dropped the other prisoner inside. One of the guards moved to the table and tossed a few more grains of incense into a small metal bowl smoldering there. The other clanged the cell door shut, then glared at Antonerri.

“Yeah, you’d best be praying!” He said in a raspy voice, then laughed as they both closed the main door behind them. Dark and sorrow closed around Antonerri again as he bowed his head.

<<<>>>

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A Tale of Heroes - Scene 7: DeFrantis

“You leave my chickens be!” The innkeeper grabbed a shovel leaning by the side of the door and stepped toward DeFrantis.

“Wait, wait...” she said, “I don’t mean any harm! I just--” She began backing away, toward the fence.

“No harm would be not trying to steal my chickens!” He shouted, swinging the shovel before him. She dropped the chicken and jumped back, losing her balance. She went down with a splat in the mud and straw. Through the rain in her eyes, she could see him lifting the tool to swing at her again.

She lifted her hands, palms up, and willed herself to be hidden. The shadows all around her swelled up and swirled over her, enveloping her in darkness. She willed it outward, to cover the stockyard.

She heard the innkeeper gasp. “Wizardry!” Then she heard a crash. “I can’t see you, but I can still hit you!”

She rolled to her side, then up to her feet. As quick as she could with the slippery ground, she struggled to reach the back fence. When she reached it, she jumped up and tried to grab on to pull herself over. She slipped and fell with a splash.

“There you are!” He shouted through the rain, “I’ll get you!”

She frantically curled up and tried to make herself as small as possible in the darkness of the shadow. She could hear him slogging through the mud toward her.  She heard him grunt as he swung the pitchfork, once, twice, then she heard only rain. I’m so glad the others usually do this. I’m so bad at it!

She cowered, breathing heavily, and trying to be silent. I’ve got to get out. The shadow won’t last forever. Is he gone? With all the caution she could muster, she slid to her knees, then to her feet. She was near the fence, she was sure, so she reached behind her and felt it. She slowly turned in the dark.

She bent her knees slightly and jumped, reaching the top of the fence and grabbing on. She had swung herself up and hooked her leg over when she felt the sharp pain of impact on her head. It shot down through her whole body. She tensed, then fell, limp, into her own darkness.

<<<>>>

This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing.


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The Land of Wynne

The Land of Wynne is the world where we first began our playtesting sessions. It's one of our group's favorite worlds and we have returned to it many times with different parties and different goals.  Now, it's the setting of the fiction portion of the blog, A Tale of Heroes. Here we include a map of the land, along with a little bit of background into each race and the place they inhabit.

Humans

We'll begin at the bottom of the map, in the south, with the humans.

The humans in Wynne are physically like those in our world. An adult male would be about 6 feet tall, a female a little shorter.

Where other populations in the world may have a reputation of one kind or another (magic, or mining), the humans are best known for their practicality and adaptability. Even though some humans might have personal or family resentments toward another race or people, for the most part they will trade with, work with, or fight with anyone. As a result, the two largest human cities (Twynne Rivers and Portstown) are an eclectic mix of peoples. It's common to see elves, dwarves, giants, and even pixies buying and selling in the markets right alongside of the more populous humans.

Portstown is along the southern coast, and is the main point where trade happens with human (and non-human) lands beyond Wynne. The city is cut into parts by the Wynne River, which is used to carry freight and travelers north. The giants dominate this service, using nature powers to ply the barges up and down river all the way west to their mountain home and back.

Portstown is a bustling, active city of medium size. Because of the active trade, many go there looking for work or adventure.

Northwest, up the river stream, is the city of Twynne Rivers. It carries that name because it rests in the fork of the Wynne (which flows from the west, from the mountains of the giants) and the Lesser Wynne (which flows from the Umbramoor Swamps in the northwest).

Because it's such a central hub for travel and commerce, it's a large and metropolitan city. Even though the people are predominantly human, there are people of almost all races here. Governed by a feudal king, there are wealthy courtiers and ministers, rich merchants, working-class craftsmen and artisans, as well as poverty-stricken beggars. Soldiers and constables try to keep order, but crime is rampant, especially in certain neighborhoods.

Human society (in both cities, and even in many small villages) is divided by guilds, factions, or churches. All three are organizations with varying goals and beliefs, all vying for status and control. Guilds are usually made up of people with a common bond, like a trade, a location, or an agreement for mutual protection. For example, there is a freighter's guild, a smithy's guild, etc. Each guild will have a pub or some kind of guild house.

A church is another kind of organization that operates in the cities and villages. They're a lot like guilds and factions, but they act more in the spiritual and religious areas of life. Churches can also vie for political power.

Outside the cities, the lands are held by the feudal lords and gentry. Villages and towns dot the lands surrounding the manors and castles of these lords. The lords will often be in allegiance to one of the factions as well as the king.

The Pixies\Fairies

The homeland of these mystical folk lies in the islands to the southeast of PortsTown. There is a lot of variety among them. They can range anywhere from 1 to 3 feet high. The shorter ones will often be winged.

Many humans say to "never trust a pixie". This is not so much because they believe the pixies to be dishonest, but more because the humans and the pixies have a history of antagonizing each other, while at the same time, trading and interacting with each other. Add to that the pixie’s cultural tendency to change their mind at a moment's notice, compared with the human leaders’ need for order, and there are frequent conflicts.

They are often fluent users of all kinds of powers.

The Wood Elves

Immediately to the north of the Twynne Rivers countryside, you'll find the Umbrawood Forest. This is the home to the wood elves.

A typical adult wood elf is about 4 to 5 feet high and quite muscular. Although there are a few larger settlements in the forest (most notably Umbrawood City), they tend to live in small family-based clans in tree-top villages throughout the forest. They have developed their own ways of agriculture, harvesting fruits and fungi from the trees and herding venison.

They tend to be a very magical group, favoring nature powers. They often use these powers to shape their villages, which are more like interconnected levels of tree houses. Even the sprawling Umbrawood City is made from the living trees of the forest.

There is a wood elf high council in Umbrawood City, headed by a King, but the outlying clans and villages really only follow them if all of the forest is in danger. If that happens, they are quick to form up an army and rally to fight.

The wood elves trade frequently in Twynne Rivers. As a result, the concept of the guilds and factions has begun to take hold in their city, much to the frustration of the current ruling class.

They dislike the High Elves, whom they consider to be elitist and arrogant. They have almost no contact with the Dwarves or the Felisians to the east.

The Arachins (Spider-folk)

Umbrawood Forest is home to many strange creatures. One of these is the race of the Arachins, or the Spider-Folk. In the distant past, they were the dominant life in the forest, but have since been slowly crowded out by the wood elves. In appearance they look like larger versions of common jumping spiders. From the ground to the top their heads, they stand 3 to 4 feet high, and can have a leg-span of as much as 6 feet.

Little is known about them. Because they can't form the sounds of humanoid speech, they don't interact with bipedal races. They are brilliantly intelligent, however. They have their own society with its own hierarchy, even though they mostly live solitary lives, living off small animals of the forest.

Most humans fear them, but, in reality, they are reasonable creatures, some good, others bad.

The Khelnar

In the Umbramire swamp, to the west of the forest, many dark creatures live. This includes a race of intelligent lizard-like people known as the Khelnar.

They spawn in the murky depths of the swamp, going through a tadpole-like process of metamorphosis into an adult.

The Giants

Further to the west of Twynne Rivers, the forest, and the swamp, at the end of the Wynne River is the mountain range home of the Giants.

These are tall, strong, and stocky humanoids, who stand anywhere from 7 to 12 feet high. They are not known for their speed or dexterity. Many of them, however, have made a study of nature powers, particularly stone and water. With the skill in water powers, they have made a trade shipping things and people up and down the rivers of Wynne.

They tend to dislike human society and pay little interest to the manipulations of the guilds, factions, and churches of the big cities.

The Western Dwarves

The dwarves are short, yet strong. They typically stand 3 to 4 feet high, yet could easily defeat many humans in tests of strength or endurance.

They live in cities dug into the sides of mountains, as an extension of their mining. They are skilled artificers, and their armor and weapons are prized throughout Wynne. They trade freely with the humans and other races in Twynne Rivers, using the giant barges as transport. They rarely put their efforts or attentions to learning to use powers.

The High Elves

The high elves are similar in height and appearance to the wood elves except they are thinner, with paler skin and more delicate features. They live in the mountains to the north of the forest, primarily in a city built onto the side of a semi-active volcano named Emberfire.

The High Elves claim that they are the race from which all other elves have descended (there are tales of desert dwellers as well as sea elves and even winged cloud elves). This leads them to a certain elitism, even racism, believing that they are superior to the other races. At times in the history of Wynne they have dominated or even ruled the land. For now, they are isolated on their mountaintop, believing all others are beneath them.

They are powerful mages, studying and mastering all kinds of powers. Their armies are fierce, being reinforced with striking powers and driven by pride. In spite of their arrogance and isolation, they have a vast intelligence and communications network throughout Wynne using crystal artifacts (Oculi Creator) infused with blue mental powers.

The Eastern Dwarves

The eastern Dwarves live in a vast intermountain complex\city in the mountains on the eastern edge of Wynne. Physically, they look like their western counterparts, but they have also chosen to isolate themselves from interaction with the rest of the world. They will sell precious and practical metals, as well as gems, but this is done by the rare caravan to Twynne Rivers. Foreign merchants are never allowed into their city.

The Felisians

The Felisians are a tribal and nomadic race of cat-like people who inhabit the plains in between the Umbrawood Forest and the Dwarven mountains. When standing on their two back legs, they are as tall as a human, at about 6 feet. The males are maned and muscular. They all have retractable claws with opposable thumbs.

Their traditional blade weapon, called the claw, is a metal grip that also attaches to the wrist, with one or two long blades extending like short or long swords out over the back of the hand.

They are both fierce fighters and noble friends, but no other race has made any effort to contact them or trade with them, perhaps because they think the cats are "wild" or "uncivilized".

The Dragons

Dragons once ruled all of Wynne, in fact most of the world. They are now few. When not killed outright, they live hundreds of years, growing to lengths of up to 40 feet or more. Dragons are almost always winged, and have the ability to breathe or spit some kind of horrible destruction from their mouths (like fire, acid, frost, etc...). Many of the older dragons are also powerful mages of varying types.

Dragons live reclusively, in mountains, deep swamps or forests, or sometimes in abandoned castle ruins.

In recent generations, there have been more stories of encounters with younger dragons. Some of the older historians and loremasters speculate that more dragons are hatching, and could be preparing for a return to power.