The Land: Alliances (Chaos Seeds Book 3)

CHAPTER 20

When Richter came to, his head was cushioned atop something soft and a sweet scent filled the air. He picked his head up and saw that he was inside of a small room. A round yellow globe glowed softly in the corner. When he looked around, he saw that he wasn’t alone. A white haired sprite woman sat calmly in a chair at the foot of the bed. She looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite place her.

“Ah, he awakes.” Her voice had a youthful tone that belied her apparent age.

He shook his head to clear the cobweb. “Thank you for your help. I am forever in your debt.”

“I should say so,” she replied. “The magic to bring someone back from the dead is no easy thing!”

Richter’s eyes widened in alarm. The last thing he remembered was imbued shots exploding all around him. A few had struck the ground in front of him and thrown him through the air. After that, his head had struck something hard and everything went back. He quickly accessed his status page, concerned that he had lost levels again. A girlish laugh made him look back at the sprite.

She had her hand over her mouth in a poor attempt to stop the laughter that was spilling out into the room. “Oh your face! Just a joke, Lord Richter. I had to pay you back for stealing my sister away.” She stood and gave a small curtsy, “I am Fumiko.”

Hearing the name, it suddenly clicked. The sprite looked familiar because he had spent so much time with her family member. This must be Sumiko’s sister. “So I didn’t die.”

She laughed again, “No, though when we saw the state of your face, we thought that you had. I did do something about that though,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. Her gaze drifted up and she tapped her hair.

Confused Richter, placed his hand on his face and ran it up over his scalp. For the first time in days, he didn’t feel the pocked texture of his burn scars, but instead only smooth and healthy skin. His mouth dropped open and he quickly cast Mirror. An unblemished face stared back at him. He was bald as a cue ball, but other than that, his image was the old one he remembered.

“How?” he asked with wonder in his voice.

“Let’s just say Sumiko isn’t the only Life master in the family. The spell to remove your scars had to be cast in phases. You also had a crack in your skull from when you struck a rock during the battle with the kobolds. You have been asleep for the past two days.”

That explained why he was so hungry and thirsty, Richter thought. He didn’t want to think about who had cleaned up after him when his body had done the necessary. He knew for a fact that just because you were unconscious for a long period of time, it didn’t mean you stopped defecating. Basically, he was pretty sure that he owed some sprite another fruit basket.

“We also shaved the patches of hair you still had left. One, because you were quite filthy, and two, because you looked quite ridiculous.”

Richter chuckled and looked at her, his gratitude so intense he couldn’t even really talk. He simply stood and embraced her.

She hugged him back, but then said into his ear, “Thank you for the offer, but you’re not my type.” Then her hand moved down from his back to cup his bare ass.

Richter screwed his eyes shut and he started nodding, “I’m naked aren’t I?”

“See,” she whispered into his ear again, “I knew you weren’t just a cute butt and smile.” Her hand was still cupping him.

He stood there awkwardly for a few more seconds as he pondered how best to escape the situation, but when she started squeezing, he quickly backed up covering his privates with his hands as best he could. She took one last look and then walked out of the room, her laughter trailing after her. Richter stared after her, thinking how different she was from her sister.

Another sprite, a male sprite this time Richter was happy to see, brought in his armor, weapons and a set of clothes. The sprite told him that his armor had taken a beating in the initial barrage of imbued arrows the sprites had fired at the kobolds, but had been repaired. He hadn’t taken any direct hits, but the concussive force of the arrows had still buffeted him around. Richter thanked him and then closed the door to get dressed.

His Bag was by the bedside; the magic of the item had ensured that it stayed near him. He dressed and equipped himself, then sent out a mental call.

*Alma. Where are you, love?*

*Hmmm,* was the self-satisfied reply. She sent him a mental image of a table laden with food. The view shifted to a sprite woman that was feeding his familiar small pieces of spiced meat. Richter noticed that the picture was much sharper and the colors were much richer since he had increased the Psi Bond.

*Greedy glut,* he thought fondly. She just sent back another happy, *Hmmm.*

The sprite led Richter down a spiral staircase and then outside. It was night, but there was plenty of light provided by tall glowing rods that stuck up from the ground like tiki torches. As he looked around, he realized where he had been resting. He had been inside of the Hearth Tree! Richter was both pleased and surprised that he had been allowed inside.

Fumiko was waiting at the entrance for him and saw his eyes widen as he looked up at the massive edifice. “Yes, you were shown great honor, the only non-sprite to ever enter the Hearth Tree. You deserve it, though. Sprites that have come back from your village have told us of the birth of the pixie queen. Thank you, my Lord.” There was no laughter in her voice as she voiced her sentiment and she swept her hands back in a graceful curtsy.

Richter fidgeted, a bit uncomfortable by her sudden show of respect. Breaking the moment, he asked, “So there is food?”

She laughed and the serious moment passed. “Right this way. We are all eager to hear how you showed up on our doorstep with an army of kobolds.”

“Well! Then have I got a story for you!”

Richter walked over to the table and sat near where Alma was resting. Fumiko placed a plate of food in front of him and poured a glass of pale wine before settling in a seat across the table. Richter took a sip of the beverage, and closed his eyes in bliss for a moment as the cool sweet liquid slid down his throat. When he opened his eyes, he cast his gaze around at the happy sprites breaking their fast amidst a sea of gold grass. For the first time in days, he felt safe.

Richter enjoyed the food and camaraderie. The sprites told him that the skirmishes with bugbears were increasing in frequency. A call had been put out for all sprites living in the northern part of the forest to return to the Hearth Tree. Despite the laughter he heard, Richter also detected somber note in the conversation. Everyone knew that a large battle was coming and that soon, friends and loved ones could die. Hisako had taken a well-armed delegation to meet with Niklas, the leader of a nearby wood elf tribe, to enlist their aid. Yoshi was currently out hunting the eaters.

Kumiko and the other sprites turned serious as they discussed the threat the eaters posed. No one quite understood why the bugs weren’t spilling out into all sections of the forest. Outside of a few sporadic sightings, there had been no sign of the voracious creatures.

More wine was brought to the table and the dark mood lifted. Richter took control of the conversation and told his story. He started with riding the okami to save Terrod and ended with his flight from the kobolds. He explained his arrival in the wood sprite lands. When he couldn’t get back to the Mist Village, Richter had realized that his only hope was to evade his pursuers until he got close to the Hearth Tree. Hisako had already told him about the frequent patrols the sprites conducted. When he was close enough, all he needed to do was draw enough attention and then wait for the calvary. He admitted that when the kobold Battle Mage had extinguished his Light spell he had worried that the sprites might not see him and he’d be a victim of friendly fire. Fumiko reached out and traced a deep scratch in his armor.

“Well maybe we were a bit too friendly with our fire, but to be fair, you were a bit too friendly when you woke up, Mr. Cute Butt.”

Richter coughed expressively while the other sprites looked at them both in curiosity. “Ahem, all's well that ends well. What did happen though? Were all of the kobolds killed?”

Fumiko shook her head, “The big one that was talking to you was able to erect some powerful shields. After the first salvo, he cast a Dark spell that made targeting the others difficult. We killed a lot of them, but more than half escaped.”

Richter shook his head at the news. He was sure that he hadn’t heard the last of Yi’Asan and the Sabre Claws. He was still immensely grateful and thanked everyone for helping him. Richter talked to Fumiko and the other sprites well into the night. When he finally slept, it was with a smile on his face.

Richter awoke early. Even back on Earth, he had never been a late sleeper. With the near-perfect body he had been given since coming to the Land, he barely needed six hours in order to be completely rested. As he left his room in the Hearth Tree, Alma jumped onto his shoulders, wrapping her tail around his arm for stability. He still smelled that sweet scent he had first detected when he woke the night before. As best as he could describe, it was a mix of the crisp smell of pine and a hint of maple syrup. Fumiko had told him the night before; it was just the natural scent of the Hearth Tree.

Richter only had to walk for a few seconds before he came across a sprite. He asked for directions to their equivalent of an alchemy lab. The smiling woman directed him down several levels and then told him to follow the first hallway on the right. Soon, Richter was standing in front of a door with the symbol of a bubbling potion engraved into the wood.

He knocked twice and the door quickly opened. A sprite that looked like he was middle aged looked up at Richter questioningly. After Richter explained what he needed, the sprite happily agreed to help. Richter tried to pay for the item, but the sprite just smiled and said he was happy to help any ally of his people. Richter smiled back. Gotta love these hippies!

After he had gotten what he needed, he walked down to the base of the Hearth Tree and went outside. The glowing rods had been turned off and Richter saw that the sky was just beginning to lighten. As he left the golden glade, he found a sprite who agreed to tell Fumiko and the elders that he would be back by midafternoon.

The elders had made a brief appearance at his dinner table the night before. They were a small council of wise sprites that ruled the Hearth Tree while Hisako was away. They had told him he would have an escort on his way back to the Mist Village. Richter didn’t argue, knowing full well how dangerous the countryside was. Despite the danger, he didn’t want anyone following where he was headed this morning. He needed to go back to his glade.

Richter checked his weapons and tightened a loose strap on his armor, then left the golden glade. As soon as he was past the shining grasses, he cast Haste and started running. With a trill of happiness, Alma launched into the air and flew above him. The morning was filled with the simple sounds of the forest. Richter sped along, often surprising animals which shot for cover. The verdant setting was full of the tracks, both predators and prey. After all of his near death experiences, he simply enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the forest. He also finally had the time to deal with all of the prompts he had neglected while he had been fleeing for his life.

You have been award 105,831 (base 1,693,288 x 0.05 x 1.25) experience from Brain Drain against Level 41 Crystal Guardian.

Your familiar has reached level 15!

…

Your familiar has reached level 19!

TRING!

You have reached level 21! Through hard work you have moved forward along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

TRING!

You have reached level 22! Through hard work you have moved forward along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

TRING!

You have reached level 23! Through hard work you have moved forward along your path. As a Chaos Seed, you gain 6 points to distribute to characteristics instead of the usual 4. You also get 25% advancement to the skill of your choice! Crush your enemies, honor your allies, LIVE!

You have either characteristic points or skill percentage points to allocate from the previous level. Now that you have progressed again, you must allocate your points within the next week or they will randomly be assigned for you.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 24 in Pierce the Veil. +1 to perception.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 25 in Pierce the Veil. +1 to perception.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Initiate to Apprentice in: Pierce the Veil. In addition to seeing hidden traps and compartments, you can now find hidden doors and a have a chance to detect magical concealments.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 7 in Stealth. You can inflict 1% greater damage during stealthed attacks. +1 against Perception checks.

…

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 11 in Stealth. You can inflict 1% greater damage during stealthed attacks. +1 against Perception checks.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in: Stealth. Your weapons and equipment now make much less noise while stealthed. You can now move with greater speed without losing Stealth status. 25% less likely to leave tracks.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for reaching level 10 in the skill: Stealth.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 22 in Trap Disarm. +2% more likely to disarm trap.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 10 in Archery. +2% bonus to aim. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in: Archery. 50% chance to retrieve special arrows after they have been shot.

You have already received bonus experience for reaching level 10 in the skill: Archery. You will not be awarded this experience again.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 5 in Imbue Arrow. +5% damage. +5% speed of mana flow.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 6 in Imbue Arrow. +5% damage. +5% speed of mana flow.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 3 in Focus. Zoom increased by 0.1x.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Small Blades. +2% attack speed. +2% bonus to damage.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 9 in Light Armor. +2% to defense of all light armor.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 10 in Light Armor. +2% to defense of all light armor.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in: Light Armor. Movement speed penalty decreased from 3% per piece to 2% per piece. Decreased casting penalty from wearing light armor. Stamina drain from exertions while wearing armor reduced. You have learned to move in your armor gaining the Perk: Synergy. Synergy gives a +20% defense bonus to light armor as long as you are wearing only light armor. Synergy stacks with each successive level.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for reaching level 10 in the skill: Light Armor.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 6 in Grace in Combat. Dodge increased by 15%.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 7 in Grace in Combat. Dodge increased by 16%.

Congratulations! You have reached subskill level 8 in Grace in Combat. Dodge increased by 17%.

Congratulations! You have learned the skill: Dual Casting. You have learned to channel the same spell through both arms, magnifying the effect of the spell. Casting magic in this manner also increases the concentration required to successfully cast a spell and increases the chance of spell miscast. The mana used during Dual Casting will be increased dramatically compared to casting normally.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 8 in Air Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 9 in Air Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 10 in Air Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have advanced from Novice to Initiate in: Air Magic. As a Master of a Place of Power, you already have a 50% boost to spell power and resistance. No further bonus.

You have received 2,500 (base 2,000) bonus experience for reaching level 10 in the skill: Air Magic.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Life Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Earth Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Dark Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 6 in Dark Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 4 in Light Magic. New spells are now available.

Congratulations! You have reached skill level 5 in Fire Magic. New spells are now available.

Your burn scars have been healed. Charisma and Dexterity restored.

Richter was overwhelmed by the massive amount of prompts at first. He hadn’t realized just how many of his skills he had had to use just to survive over the past several days. Pierce the Veil had let him survive the traps. His Stealth had made it possible for him to avoid the patrols the night before. Even his Tracking ability had let him find the kobold tracks and escape the rock giant. If he had lacked any one of those, he probably would have died another grisly death. That didn’t take his magic into account. He couldn’t even count the number of times his spells had let him squeak through to victory.

Richter ran through the forest and enjoyed the warmth of the rising sun. As he ran though, he reflected on the realities of his situation. The Land was a dangerous place. Each challenge he had come across seemed more deadly than the last. As much growth as his skills had undergone over the last few days, he knew in his heart that it wasn’t enough. It was time to do some skill grinding.

First though, he had to allocate his Characteristic points. He cursed himself when he saw that he had points that he could have invested into Endurance or Agility during his long flight through the night. He had seen the flashing notification icon, but was so busy just staying alive that he hadn’t taken the time to check it. His frustration didn’t last long though because now he had eighteen points to distribute!

Even though it wasn’t sexy, he decided to put four points into Endurance. During short fights he was okay, but again and again, he seemed to need large amounts of stamina. He also put four points into Intelligence and two into Wisdom. Away from the Mist Village and its mana pool, his mana had dropped at a frightening rate during his fight with the guardian. Four points went into Constitution. The health and increased stamina regeneration should help in almost any situation. The last four points he thought about for a bit.

Now that Fumiko had restored his boyish good looks, he didn’t think he needed to invest in Charisma at the moment. If Krom and the other village dwarves were any indication, his upcoming negotiations with the dwarves of the Serrated Mountains would be based more on actions than a winning smile. He decided to invest in Agility. He didn’t want to sound like a punk, but he definitely would have liked to have been able to run away from the rock giant a bit faster. He also doubted that the giant was the last big baddie he’d have to run from. Three points went into Agility. With his last point, Richter kept to what was now becoming a tradition. It went into Luck. His skill percentage points he held back on.

As soon as he confirmed his choices, his body flooded with power. His steps became slightly lighter and he moved faster and further with each stride. His health, mana and stamina bars grew a bit longer as well. Richter gave out a loud whoop and kept running through the morning.

Before he knew it, he was in front of the enchanted veil that hid his glade from view. Pushing through, he felt the same tingle that he always experienced when he crossed the magical barrier. The sun had risen fully and was shining down on the small meadow. When he had first come to The Land, the entire place was festooned with colorful herbs and flowers, despite the fact that winter had not fully moved on yet. His last visit, Sion had harvested most of them to plant in the same meadow as the Quickening, leaving the glen green and bare. Richter was happy to see that some of the herbs were already growing again. He exhaled a long and satisfied breath. It was good to be back.

Richter walked over to the Pool of Clarity. He closed his eyes for a moment in reverence to honor the spirit of Karim the Knowledgeable. The Pool had really been his ace in the hole since coming to The Land. Richter almost felt like Karim was his brother. He thanked him quietly and then got to work.

Richter quickly filled all of his empty potion vials from the Pool. He filled several hundred before he ran out. Then he withdrew the items he had gotten from the sprite alchemist. When he had found Sonirae’s vials that held several doses of a potion each, he had asked himself why he couldn’t do the same thing. The alchemist had told him that potions would lose their potency if kept in an average container, but as long as a vessel was properly prepared, it could hold any number of doses. Each of the light wooden containers the sprite had given him was a cube with rounded edges. A capped bottle neck protruded from the tops.

Richter placed the bottle under the surface and watched as bubbles quickly flowed up from the neck. Soon it was full and Richter picked it up and examined it.

You have found: Potion of Clarity. Potion Level: Essence. Strength: Pure. Weight 8.2 kg. Experience increased by 25% for the next twenty-four hours. Doses 256 of 256.

Cha-CHING! He would have more than enough to sell and provide for his personal use. If Basil’s trade mission was a success, Richter planned on sending him right back out. Learning epic spells and sword fighting skills was great and all, but money seemed just as important in The Land as it had been on Earth. While the glade wasn’t too far from the Mist Village, it was still almost a three-day hike that he couldn’t be sure he would have the time to make any time soon.

Richter quickly filled up the other containers he had received from the sprite alchemist. Once again, he was supremely thankful for the weight reducing properties of his Bag of Holding. Time and again, it proved itself as the most valuable item he had found since coming to The Land. Alma flew in a loop above his head, drawing his gaze. A fond smile formed on his face. Well, maybe not the most valuable item, he corrected.

Once he was done filling up, he left the glade and started running again. The sprites heavily patrolled the lands near their home, so he felt relatively safe, but Richter was still eager to get back to the safety of the Hearth Tree. Alma scouted from above. He was happy and relieved when he saw the massive tree nestled in the glade of tall gold grass.

A sprite patrol met him before he made it to the Hearth Tree. One sprite broke off and ran ahead while the patrol escorted him in. Fumiko found him when he finished walking through the golden grass and gave him an earful about stupid bravado and unnecessary risks. He took the scolding in stride. Seeing that he didn’t seem in the least bit contrite, she just shook her head and was about to stalk off, when Richter stopped her.

“I’m sorry Fumiko! Really I am. I didn’t mean to make you worry. I just wanted to get you a thank you gift.” He took her hand and placed three Potions of Clarity in it.

She glared at him a second longer, then her face softened into a smile. Richter smiled back relieved that once again something sparkly got him out of trouble with a woman. The small woman reached up and lightly patted his cheek, “You may be a gyoti, but you’re a cute gyoti. I accept your generous gift. Take one more parting gift from me.”

She kept her hand on his cheek and laid the other on his heart. Magic coursed through him and suddenly he knew.

Congratulations! You have learned the spell: Summon Weak Life Wisp! Summons an entity comprised of Life magic. Will float in the area and restore a total of 100 health to you or one of your allies. This is a spell of Life Magic. Cost 60 mana. Duration: 5 minutes. Range: Self. Cast Time: 3 second. Cooldown: 20 minutes.

Richter hadn’t been expecting such a reward, but he was glad to have it! He thanked Fumiko profusely. She just laughed again and then walked off. Richter stared after her and realized that he definitely could be into an older women. Then he realized, he was staring at the sprite’s ass and that other people were definitely watching him do it. “Okay then,” he said clapping his hands together. Then he went to find his escort.

Soon he was standing on the edge of the golden glade at the head of a troupe of ten sprites. Some of the elders saw him off. They pressed several restore health, mana and stamina potions into his hands. He tried to pay the sprites for the gift, but they begged off, so he simply bowed and thanked them. Then he turned and started heading home.

The first two days were uneventful. He spoke to the sprites in their own tongue, enjoying the chance to use his Gift of Tongues ability so liberally. The sprite language was musical to the ears and was a true joy to speak. Richter felt that immersing himself in the language in a way served to wash the harsh barking words of the kobold tongue out of his mouth. Richter spoke to each sprite as they walked and learned a bit about each individually as well as more about the idiosyncrasies of Wood Sprite culture as a whole.

He also took the time to allocate Alma’s new ability points. He had planned to place some points into her Psi Blast ability, but when he saw that he had five points to play with and Brain Drain needed exactly five points to level, he just couldn’t resist. He leveled it up and smiled when he saw that she could now take down level 26 opponents. The dragonling just trilled happily and flew through the trees, hunting small game.

Richter was eager to get back to his village, but there were too many sprites to cast Haste on all of them. The sprites were also not enthusiastic about his suggestion that they run the whole way, so he just walked at their pace, neither fast nor slow. Drinking a Potion of Clarity each morning, he decided to put his trip time to good use. The first thing he did was to address something that he had put off for way too long. He examined his city interface in depth.

When he opened it, Richter was again greeted with a sprawling host of menus. The amount of information was massive, but he was able to catch many salient points. He studied it off and on throughout the day and compiled the relevant information on a spare sheaf of parchment.

Defenses:

- Walls

Height: 5 feet

Bonuses

▪ +10% defense against invaders

▪ +10% distance to ranged attacks

Composition

▪ 92% Earthworks – 1,000 HP per section

▪ 8% Marbled Quartz – 5,500 HP per section

- Trench (spiked)

Size: 20 feet deep x 30 feet wide

Delays melee attack; chance to damage enemies on spikes

- Outer Trench (under construction)

- Fortified rooms

Armory – Door Rindgum Wood with banded metal: 12,000 HP

Treasury – Titan Steel: 400,000 HP

For up to date information, build a Town Hall.

Enchantment(s): Confusing Mist – Cost 800 mana. Upkeep 400 mana per day. Generates a thick mist field which extends to the boundaries of your domain. Causes disorientation that will lead affected creatures in random directions. You may grant immunity to this effect to beings of your choosing. Attacking or taking hostile action against a creature will negate the effects for a short period.

To know more and for more options build a Caster’s Chamber.

Health: Neutral. No change to population growth, loyalty, morale or relationships.

To know more build a Healer’s Hut.

Magic: Spell Purchase unavailable at current settlement level. To buy spells you will need to build a Caster’s Chamber.

Diplomacy:

- Wood Sprites of the Northern Forest of Nadria. Relationship: Ally

- Sabre Claw Kobold Clan of the Depths. Relationship: Hatred

- Long Fang’s Kobold Clan of the Depths. Relationship: Enmity

- Kingdom of Yves. Relationship: Neutral

County of Stonuk. Relationship: Hatred

Night Blades Thieves Guild. Relationship: Hatred

Goblin Tribes of Azergoth Swamp. Relationship: Enmity and Feared

To have updated information and options, build an Embassy.

Military: No standing army or units.

For more options, build a Barracks.

Science: No active research. To increase research and research options, build a Scholar’s Hut.

Government: Tribal – No change to loyalty or morale. Citizens must pledge individually. To open options, build a Town Hall.

Resource(s):

- Wood: Plentiful

- Marble: Copious

- Crystal: Scant

- Iron: Copious

- Copper: Scant

- Water: Unlimited

- Food: Plentiful

To reduce resource decay and for up to date quantities, build a Storage Shed.

Trade:

- Exports

Potions of Clarity

- Imports

Paper

Rations

Livestock

…

For more detailed information and options, build a Market

Buildings:

- Current

Longhouse

▪ Provides shelter - removes morale penalty from lack of housing

Forge of Heavens

▪ +10% chance of an item of a given quality being automatically upgraded a higher quality once completed.

Tilled Field

Livestock Pen

Ship Cradle

Walls

Trench

For up to date information, to increase productivity for buildings projects, and to discover the Unique buildings of the Mist Village, build a Workshop

Some of the information was what he expected, like the defenses, though he hadn’t known just how much more effective the marble walls were compared to the earthworks. Some of the info was just depressing. The diplomacy screen for instance just showed that he had managed to completely piss off basically EVERYONE he had met since coming to the land. He dwelled on that for a while, but ultimately shrugged off his worry. Can’t make an omelet and all that, he thought.

The ‘Buildings’ tab was surprising. He had no idea that there were unique buildings for his village. Of course he now knew he had to build a workshop to figure out what they were, but it was still fascinating. He would have to get Roswan to build a workshop ASAP. Each tab in fact seemed to require that he construct some type of building to unlock further functions.

Richter also hadn’t really thought too much about the health of his village, but it apparently had real consequences. He was just happy that its level wasn’t lower than neutral. What really caught his eye was the ‘Magic’ tab. When he had seen it right after becoming Master of the village, he had thought it was just a list of potential spells. The fact that he would be able to buy spells in the future was amazing.

Richter looked over all of the information that he could and yet there was still a great deal more to read and learn. What he took away from the experience, was that he needed to be more proactive in building his village. He closed the menu when he couldn’t just look at it anymore and then started focusing on other issues.

While Richter and his party had been moving through the forest, he stealthily followed tracks that he saw, sometimes veering off from the main group. One or two sprites accompanied him each time, but there was no concern for them startling his prey. Their Wood Craft ability let them move as quietly as a leaf in the wind. Richter was able to find many animals and analyzed each one. He was able to level his Stealth skill twice, his Tracking skill four times and his Analyze skill twice.

Even more importantly, while he was tracking, he picked every useful herb and plant he could find. His Apprentice rank in Herb Lore let him see three uses for most of them. Some had some truly wonderful effects, but others were just strange. It was great news that Pewant leaf could make an anti-itch powder. It was unfortunately ‘get in my van’ creepy though, that Redbark Sap could make an aromatic potion that attracted children. The main point for Richter was that the next time he checked his status page, his Herb Lore skill advanced his progress to the next level by 28%. Richter invested the 75% he had gotten from advancing the last three levels and he finally got to level forty in Herb Lore. He eagerly read the prompt that described the bonus experience that came with it.

You have received 10,000 (base 8,000) bonus experience for reaching level 40 in the skill: Herb Lore.

He also practiced his new Dual Casting skill by casting random spells. He had to stay away from casting Flame, seeing as how he was walking through a heavily wooded area, but his other spells were fair game. He soon found that his first success with Dual Casting did not predict any actual ability. His spells fizzled more than once. Richter noticed it was easier for him to cast spells where he had a more advanced skill level. Haste for instance, had a higher success rate than Ice Dagger. Despite the difficulty, by continually depleting his magic, his new skill reached level five and he also raised his skill level in all of his magics except Fire. Richter found that he got some excruciating headaches by continually depleting his mana, but there was an unexpected benefit when his Wisdom rose by one point.

Richter was smiling over the increase to his stats when he caught sight of a peculiar set of tracks. He immediately motioned for the sprites to stop. All ten immediately drew arrows and faded into the trees. If Richter didn’t know exactly where to look, he would not have been able to see them.

It was late afternoon and the sun was well on its way to setting, but there was still more than enough light to see by. The tracks glowed slightly brighter than the others he had been following, just as when he had found the kobolds’ trail. He assumed this meant he that something sentient had made the tracks. There were two problems though. One, he didn’t recognize the footprints. Two, there were a large number of them!

One of the sprites caught up with him and immediately drew an arrow. He called out in a loud voice, not in words, but in the trilling call of a bird. Three short trills echoed through the trees and were almost immediately answered by two answering chirps. Richter had heard both of the bird calls while walking through the forest, and if he hadn’t been looking right at the sprite, he wouldn’t have known the call was false. In just a few seconds, the entire troupe of ten sprites had materialized around him.

“What type of tracks are they?” Richter asked with quiet intensity.

Nine of the sprites had slowly started spreading out from Richter’s position. After just a few yards, their Wood Craft ability made them disappear from his sight. The lead sprite, Kenzo, stayed with Richter though. Both men knelt low in the brush, their cloaks keeping them mostly hidden from sight. The small archer had a mop of black hair that always seemed to threaten to fall into his eyes and beneath it he had a pair of flint grey cat eyes.

“Bugbears, Lord Richter. More than ten, maybe twenty,” Kenzo said softly. “My men will learn more and report back.”

Both Richter and Kenzo waited for five minutes before the first of the sprites returned. The female sprite gave a short report that she had found nothing to the east except for older tracks leading toward their position. Over the next half hour more and more came back with similar stories from different directions until only two sprites remained away. The nine of them waited another thirty minutes with no word back. Richter looked to Kenzo expecting an order to go after the missing men, but all he saw was calm patience. The sprite commander had the utmost confidence in his men.

Another ten minutes later, both of the missing sprites materialized out of the trees. The other sprites faced outward with arrows nocked, while the sprites gave their debriefing.

“We found them,” one said gravely. “At least fifteen, maybe twenty of them.”

“Are they all bugbears,” Kenzo asked. “Did you see any obvious casters?”

Richter knew too well how dangerous the bugbears could be after their raid on his village. They were large and ferocious opponents, but they were not gifted in the magical arts. They often had other races like orcs or dark elves travel with their war parties to fill that niche. Knowing if the nearby enemy band had magic users was a key piece of information.

“I was able to spy them as they were cresting a hill,” one of the sprites replied. Everyone I saw was a bugbear, but some had already disappeared to the other side of the hillock so I cannot say for sure. We decided to come back though, because we found something else while we searched for the bugbears. Another series of tracks appeared and it was obvious that the bugbears were following them. That was one of the only reasons we were able to catch up. They were taking care to move silently. They were not stealthed, but they were clearly on the hunt.”

Kenzo’s face hardened at that.

“What?” Richter asked. “What does that mean?”

“A band of bugbears will stealth right before they attack, but if they are moving silently, the attack will happen soon.”

“Well what tracks did you find?” Richter asked.

“It was a set of five people, all wearing shoes. One pair of footprints was small like a gnome’s and the others looked to be human or elfish.” The sprite looked pointedly at Richter. “I can only think of one settlement anywhere near here that would have a group like that.”

Richter’s eyes widened. His people! He quickly consulted his Map. They had made better time than he had thought. The mists weren’t more than fifteen miles away. He wasn’t sure why his people had left its protection, but they had been found! He had to do something. Richter made a decision.

“I have to go after these bastards,” he said to Kenzo. “I need to save my people. You did not sign up for this though. Neither I, nor my people, will hold it against you if you choose to head back to the Hearth Tree. This may be a hopeless fight.”

Kenzo stared at him and his eyes hardened. “I am not idly here with you on this trip. Hisako is my mother’s sister. When I heard that our ally, my beloved cousin’s Companion, needed to reach home. I volunteered. I did this not to accomplish one goal, but instead to serve my people and serve our alliance. The Wood Sprites of Nadria will not turn away from the cause of good. We will not allow your people to be slaughtered. Now my question for you is, are you ready to kill our enemies or do you want to waste more time speaking idle words?”

Richter looked at Kenzo for a long moment, and then reached a hand out. The sprite clasped his wrist and nodded. They spent less than a minute gathering more information from the sprites that had seen the enemy party. In that minute Richter handed out Potions of Clarity and loaded his Ring of Spell Storage with Charm and then they set off at a run.

The bugbears were roughly ten miles ahead of them. The sprites that had followed their trail, said the tracks of the mist villagers couldn’t be more than two to four hours old. If they were going to catch up with the bugbears before his people were dead, it was going to be close. Richter had Alma fly over watch.

The eleven of them sped through the forest as quickly as they could without giving away their position. The bugbears outnumbered them possibly two to one, and they couldn’t afford to lose the element of surprise. With every step, Richter imagined plunging his arrows into his enemies’ bodies. Hunt his people would they? They would pay for that mistake in blood.

He cast Haste on himself and raced ahead. One of the sprites had some skill with Earth magic and cast Forest Path on himself and two other sprites. The spell effectively increased the target’s ability to move quickly through wooded areas. Richter watched as branches seemed to lift out of their path and brambles refused to catch upon their clothes and cloaks.

Close to an hour passed before Richter’s advance group caught sight of the bugbears. The sun was close to setting and his group had used the climbing abilities of their Enhanced Sprite Armor to gain a bird’s eye view of the terrain. Richter looked out and what he first saw actually wasn’t the bugbears, it was his people.

Near a riverbed was an armed party of five. Two wood elves held swords and wore a mix of leather and chainmail armor. Another elf and a human wore leather armor and both held bows. Arrows were nocked to the string. A fifth villager was a gnome and she just wore leather armor. A yellow nimbus surrounded her hand as she cast a spell.

The group was standing in the middle of a meadow. Tall trees rose all around, but the group had a clear line of sight. It meant they could see the bugbears that were standing at the far edge of the meadow, but the shadows were getting long at this point. The goblinoids were using the trees as cover against the villagers’ arrows. What Richter was seeing didn’t seem to quite add up though.

The bugbears were roaring and beating their weapons and shields against the trees. They were making a terrible racket, which was how Richter and the sprites had known to climb the trees to get a better look. What didn’t make sense was why the bugbears would be scared of just two arrows. Why were they waiting? Also, it seemed like there were only ten hiding at the tree line. Where were the rest?

His eyes scanned the rest of the meadow his people were standing in, but he didn’t see the other bugbears. What he did see was a slight distortion in the air at the far side of the open space. It looked like a slight haze as if he was seeing heat rising over the desert. Richter only observed it for a moment and that was only because he was using his Focus skill. He kept staring at his people and then he saw the distortion again, but in two different places, and each was ten yards closer to the villagers than before. Just like before, it disappeared.

Suddenly Richter knew what he was seeing and, more importantly, he knew why the glimmers had moved closer. The bugbears he could see were just a distraction! The remainder of the enemy party was stealthed and was making its way slowly towards his people. They would be slaughtered. Immediately, all hope for a nuanced approach fled from Richter’s mind. He looked at one of the sprites and said, “Help us!” Then he dropped out of the tree.