Chapter One: Welcome to Kalenvale
The village was...odd. That was the first thing she thought as she arrived through the Western Gate. A stone wall taller than a man encompassed the buildings, most of which seemed to be businesses of some kind. To the North sat what obviously was the village's inn, with a fire pit and some logs for sitting across from it in the middle of town. Off to the side of the pit stood a large board with pieces of parchment tacked to the surface. Next to that stood an attentive yet angry looking guard.
The guard hadn't missed the girl come into town. Firstly, she had arrived from the west. No one but adventurers used the West Gate due to the kobold infestation that way. Second, he never missed anything. Kalenvale may have been a sleepy little village in appearance, but it had too many issues to not be aware of everyone. Lastly, the girl was odd. She stood at about five feet and three inches with dark raven hair that went down past her knees. Her clothing consisted of a bright blue corset and bustled skirt with a matching sack hat and...arm socks? Whatever they were, and whoever she was, he didn't much care. She looked like trouble, and that's what he did care about.
"Excuse me!" the girl called out, quickly crossing the gap between them much quicker than the guard had time to brace for the inevitable disastrous confrontation. She stopped less than a foot from him. "Sir! Excuse me, but I'm disoriented...where are all the houses? I heard this was a village but all I see are shops, an inn, that smaller wall behind us, and whatever those two larger buildings I just passed are." The girl smiled sweetly, and stopped moving just long enough for him to notice her eyes were two different colors. One being purple, and the other being green. Two different eyes, the sign of a witch.
Taking in a deep breath, the guard sighed, already annoyed by the girl. "That's because, Madam, we are in the business part of the village." he curtly pointed to the East. "The farms are through that gate. A few of the buildings on the right there, see them? Good. Those are houses for a few of the local business owners. Those buildings you passed are the bank of Kalenvale" the same finger jabbed to a building next to a large tree that had filigree on the roof. He then pointed to the other large building, this one utilitarian in appearance. "And that is the guild-house for the Blades of Kalenvale." There was a small moment of awkward silence, the girl looking back at him, her already large eyes having gone even larger and full of child like wonder.
"I had heard this was a small community, but I had no idea it was so exciting! OH! How rude of me!" Witch-eyes held out a delicate hand to him. " I haven't introduced myself. My name is Thorrne McKinsey."
"A...pleasure. What business do you have here?" he ignored her horrified expression at his lack of introduction, giving her an unrelenting glare. Thorrne stared back, slowly blinking one eye followed by the other.
"I...just decided to visit for a little bit. I'm a bard you see, and I heard this was a good place to find adventurers and thus tales to tell." Thorrne opened her mouth to say something more, but was silenced almost instantly by an irate exhale from the surly guard.
"Then I suggest you be on your best behavior while you are here. We have enough trouble with the likes of you as it is." he glared at her once more, their eyes locking. Thorrne wasn't sure what he meant exactly, but she knew he didn't like her one bit, and she hadn't even done anything!
"Urm...sure will do Mr. Guard Guy! Thanks for the directions...I'll be going now!" with that she briskly turned and power walked away, still able to feel the death glare focused on the back of her head. She should have went to the inn first, but the shock of the guard's hostile reaction to her had caused her instead to veer for the Eastern Gate, and with that the farms. In her rush she failed to notice the sign posted on the wall as she opened the gate just enough to slip through.
The farms definitely dwarfed the other side of the village in size. They spread out on either side of the dirt road that was worn with use, however they stopped rather suddenly several feet away from the forest on the right side. Thorrne thought it strange, but every area had customs of their own and she assumed it was just one of Kalenvale's. 'I wonder if everything around here just cuts you off.' Thorrne thought to herself. 'First that man and now those trees..." a sad little sigh escaped her lips. That's how it had been back home to the South. Oh how she had hoped it would be different here. The girl had heard it was a lovely little town and she had hoped it would be a good place to restart, but perhaps that hope had been for not...
The thought left Thorrne's mind almost instantly as she wandered past the fields, farmers and their helpers looking up and greeting her. Thorrne almost felt overwhelmed. These people didn't know her yet they greeted her with warm smiles and pleasant waves. She immediately fell in love with Kalenvale, impersonal guards and all. Thorrne put her hands over her chest, emitting a dramatic sigh of contentment. So lost in her own thoughts, Thorrne didn't hear the farm hand call to her urgently. She didn't hear his warning not to go further, and that's exactly what she did.
After a moment Thorrne came back to reality, finding herself in a different part of what she assumed was still the farms. However, here everything was deserted and run down. Broken wagons lay scattered around an empty, sad looking bridge that crested a small creek. Shrugging,Thorrne meandered forward, heading towards the bridge. Suddenly, there was a sharp pain in her right thigh as something impacted against her leg. With a startled yelp Thorrne jumped sideways and looked down at what had hit her.A good sized rock greeted her line of sight. Confused, she bent down to pick it up when another struck her in the shoulder. "Who is throwing those?!" Thorrne exclaimed, turning and looking for the culprit. She froze when she saw who had thrown the rock. A goblin.
The two stared at each other for a moment, almost as if neither knew where to proceed from there. The 'peace' lasted only a few seconds however, as the goblin raised its arm and shrieked, letting out such a shrill pitch that Thorrne had to cover her ears. " What on Glavane was that all about?" Thorrne asked it as if it were a small child having a tantrum. The goblin just grinned viciously at her, and Thorrne vaguely wondered if it were quite alright in the head, feeling a sharp nick in her leg. Startled, Thorrne yelled and spun, kicking out at whatever had cut her. Her heel connected with the skull of another goblin. The second goblin dropped from the force of the kick, a chorus of angry shrieks erupting from around Thorrne as more of the creatures abandoned their hiding places. Thorrne didn't know much about goblins, but she did know one thing: It was time to run.
The goblins wasted no time in purusing Thorrne as she turned and bolted back towards Kalenvale. She may have been taller than they were, but the longer legs meant she had to go around the broken carts where they could simply go under them and cut her off, which is what they did. One of the goblins sprung out from a cart, grabbing a hold of their prey's ankle. Having not suspected the ambush, Thorrne screamed in surprise and went down rather roughly. Shrieking in glee the goblins quickly swarmed the girl, jabbing her with the shivs they carried.
The goblins didn't get very long to enjoy their conquest however. After just a few rounds of stabbing Thorrne and reducing her to a bloody mess, there was a sudden battle cry. The goblin farthest from the pathetically sobbing bard turned to confront the intruder, but instead found itself fun through by the man's pole-arm. The creature's death wail caught the attention of the others, all of them looking up to see their slain comrade being tossed aside. The newcomer the ran forward, swinging his weapon in a wide arc, catching several goblins in the way. A few of the remaining goblins surged forward to meet the man head on, stabbing at his legs with their crude blades. Instead of cries of pain and ripping flesh, all the goblins heard were their shivs colliding with and breaking off on the man's armor under his clothing.
"Begone you vile creatures! Bolar's wrath upon you!" the man cried, bringing his own blade down upon the creatures' heads, bisecting each in turn. He then began dispatching the rest of the goblins that stood around Thorrne. The retaliation efforts from the remaining goblins went about as well as the first wave, and soon none of the goblins were left standing. With a sigh of relief he wiped his forehead, turning and looking behind him to Thorrne. At seeing just how badly off she was, he rushed to her side, holding her up with one arm as he rummaged in his bag. "Hold on, Miss! I have a healing scroll here somewhere..." Finding it, he mumbled the words of activation, and a soft golden light surrounded Thorrne. The scroll crumbled into dust as Thorrne stirred, opening her eyes.
"W-what happened?" Thorrne asked, groggily looking about, then looking at the man. "oh, hello, who might you be? You're dressed like one of the guards..."
"You were attacked by the goblins in the area. I'm glad I decided to patrol out here today." He gave her a charming smile. "My name is Galvin, and you are correct, Miss, I am a member of the Kalenvale Guards." He gave her a worried look. "Can you stand, Miss? I'm afraid the scroll I used wasn't very powerful..."
"Oh, no, I'm fine!" Thorrne put her hands up, sitting up as she did so. "I really appreciate you saving me. I had no idea there were goblins out here. Sorry to inconvenience you, Galvin." She smiled sweetly back at him. "I'm Thorrne, Thorrne McKinsey."
"Well met, Miss McKinsey." Galvin offered her his hand, helping her to stand. "I'm sorry to say it, but the areas outside the village are not safe, especially for an unarmed young lady. Please, if you must go anywhere, either carry a weapon, or preferably, don't go alone." he frowned as Thorrne looked down as if she were a scolded child who realized just how bad their mistake had been. Smiling softly, Galvin put his hand gently on Thorrne's shoulder. "I know you didn't mean to get into trouble, so just promise you'll be more careful next time."
"I will, I promise. I won't come out here unprepared again." Thorrne held up a hand for the oath, looking at Galvin afterward. "Is there a weapon shop in town? I would have asked the guard at the board but he's very cranky. I think he needs a nap."
"Ah, that's Borris. Don't pay him much mind, he's always of a sour disposition." Galvin chuckled a bit. "As to your question, there is a weapon shop in town. I'm sure the brothers would be delighted to outfit you. Come, I'll take you there now." he offered her his arm, which Thorrne took, and the two walked back to the village. On the way, Galvin explained that Kalenvale was some what of a gathering place for adventurers and pilgrims, what with the monsters outside the gates and the the two temples located within the walls. Only one was an actual building and that was dedicated to Solicious, the god of magic and knowledge. The other was a grove dedicated to and blessed by Smite, mother of the Silvernari, silver-elves as they were commonly known, and goddess of beauty and healing. Thorrne listened, fascinated as her escort explained the history of both places, making a note to investigate both once she was done at the weapon shop.
Galvin had been correct that the brothers who owned the shop would be more than pleased to help Thorrne. She hadn't expected them to be half-orc in heritage, but it didn't bother Thorrne at all as she herself was half-elven. The bard had held a rather lively conversation with the eldest brother and now found herself being shown a variety of maces and short swords. She frowned, which caught the eldest brother's attention. "Does the quality of our wares displease you, Young One?" He asked, his brothers and himself adopting a look of displeasure. The girl was pleasant, sure, but they took great pride in their work and it soured their dispositions to think their work was inferior.
"Mmm, not at all. The quality is amazing, but these aren't the types of arms I'm looking for." She looked up at the much taller man. "You see, Sir, it is my family's tradition to fight with pole-arms and I see none here..." She idly waved a mace about and the brothers exchanged looks.
"Of course we carry pole-arms, we simply didn't show them to you due to your...unique physique." the second brother said, eying the smaller female up and down. She was the average height for a full-blooded human female, though she was fairly curvy with an almost too ample bust-line. The girl was not made for combat at all, really, and the brothers did not hesitate to recognize it. "we mean no offense by it of course."
"Oh, but surely you have at least one..." Thorrne pleaded, trailing off as the third brother silently strode up to her, holding a halberd that was just a might bit taller than she was. He handed it to Thorrne, who braced for the weight and examined it with awe. It was a simple weapon, but sturdy and made for combat. She looked up at the last brother and he nodded, the three stepping back to let her take a few practice swings. Happy with the weapon, Thorrne turned and beamed a smile at them. "He's perfect! May I please purchase him?" She then pointed at one of the maces from earlier. "And that one as well, please."
"But of course, Young One." The eldest brother said, and after handing over a handful of silver pieces, Thorrne was now equipped with the two weapons. The three half-orcs watched her as she happily stroked the shaft of her halberd. "We also carry armor if you require it."
"Oh, no thank you. I don't know how to wear armor and I really don't plan on getting into fights. I just wanted to have these just in case I need them." Thorrne smiled and bowed "I will keep the armor in mind though and purchase some if the need arises. Thank you very kindly and have a good day, gentlemen." Thorrne responded, rising and heading for the door. Once outside, Thorrne decided to head for the inn finally, ignoring the glares Borris sent her way. Arriving at the inn, Thorrne reached for the door and was surprised when it suddenly opened, an elven man holding a plate almost walking into her.
:Ah, my apologies!' the man exclaimed, looking flustered at having almost bowled her over. Thorrne laughed and waved a hand.
"No, no, that's okay! You didn't know I was here. I'm sorry I startled you. I hope you enjoy your meal!" Thorrne moved to the side and let him pass, disappearing inside before he turned back to her, a perplexed look on his face at the newcomer in town.
The inn was a spacious, clean place. Thorrne couldn't help but gawk some, taken in by it's simple, rustic charm. It was still too early in the day for many people from the farms to be there, and the few that were there watched Thorrne for a short time before going back to their meals; they were used to newcomers coming and going. The Innkeeper looked up from stocking clean mugs to nod at Thorrne as she walked up. "God ye good day, Lass. What can I do for you?"
"i would like a room, please." Thorrne replied, sitting down at the bar. "i just arrived in town and need a place to stay."
"Aye, we have rooms available. It's five silver a night. How long will you be staying with us?"
"I'm unsure of how long I'll be here." Thorrne admitted, looking thoughtful. She hadn't given any thought to how long her stay would be. "I'm terribly sorry, I should have figured that out before I came to town..."
"It's perfectly alright." The Innkeeper chuckled, sliding a key to Thorrne. " We have more than enough room, and by the looks of you I'd wager you're a bard, correct? Good. We always look forward to songs and tales by the fire. I just ask you don't wander outside or invite strangers inside once night hits. It's unsafe outside after dark."
"What, pray tell, makes it so dangerous?" Thorrne inquired, examining the key she was given. It was plain save for the room number engraved into it's head. "Is it the goblins? I already met those nasty little things."
"It is vampires, my dear. They come from the crypts in the graveyard at night." The Inn kepper was utterly serious, watching Thorrne look puzzled and then mortified. "Don't worry, however. They can't come into a home uninvited, and this is my one and only dwelling."
"Wait, you're telling me there is a vampire infestation here?How long has this been going on?" Thorrne leaned forward, having had no idea such a problem plagued the village. It seemed to quiet for such.
"It has been such for generations, I am afraid. The adventurers that come through seem glad for it, it helps keep them on their toes." he raised his eyebrow at her. "Don't tell me you plan on confronting vampires."
"Oh heavens no! I know nothing about slaying Nosferatu. I'd only go if I were accompanying individuals well versed in such." Thorrne laughed some "For now I think I'll stick with goblins and barn rats." the Inn keeper nodded in approval, going back to stocking his mugs. Thorrne took this as her cue to leave, pushing away from the bar and heading for the stairs, going up them two at a time. She easily found her room and entered, looking about the space. It was simple and clean, with a large window looking out onto the center of town. She saw the elven man from earlier, finishing his meal and ignoring the the glowering glare Borris was shooting him from a few feet away. 'It would seem' Thorrne thought 'That that man dislikes all travelers..' she then turned and began to unpack the few bags she had, after wards taking the time to investigate the bed. It was soft and warm, both of which were things Thorrne was thankful for after her long trip here.
It was about an hour later when Thorrne wandered back outside, deciding it was time to investigate the two holy places mentioned earlier. She had just come into reach of the wall surrounding the graveyard, when she heard a faint sobbing off to her left. Following the sound, Thorrne found a little boy sitting behind one of the buildings. He had apparently been there for sometime, as his face was beet red and his voice was breaking due to the tears. "Oh dear, whatever is the matter?" Thorrne asked, kneeling next to him and rummaging in a pouch, pulling out her handkerchief. The boy turned and looked up at her, suddenly grabbing her arm.
"P-please! You gotta help!M-my sister, Naomi...s-she...i told her n-not to but she went into the crypts...I tried to stop her, but the shadow made her go..." the boy sobbed louder now, Thorrne trying to wipe his eyes and nose.
"Shadow? Are you sure it was a shadow? It took her into the crypts?" Thorrne asked him just to make sure, trying to console him as his crying got more hysterical. "Why didn't you go tell a guard?"
"I-I didn't want to get into trouble, but now Naomi...Naomi is..." More hysterical wailing followed and Thorrne sighed, wiping his face with a sleeve.
"Don't you worry, I'll go get Naomi back. No mean old shadow is going to hurt your sister I promise." Thorrne patted the boy's head and stood. He immediately stopped crying and looked up at her in awe.
"Y-you mean it? You're gonna go save Naomi? The little boy looked hopeful, but then worried. " Papa said bad things live in the crypts though, and not even the guards go in there..."
"Well, lucky for Naomi, I'm not a guard. Now you wait here for us to get back, okay?" Thorrne waited for him to nod, and put a hand on her hip. "What's your name, by the way?"
"I'm Tyler."was the reply, and Thorrne grinned at him.
"Well, Tyler, you be good while I'm gone!" with that Thorrne was off, going around front to the gate. Slipping through, Thorrne looked about. Graves sat quietly in neat rows, a worn pat leading towards a large building. Obviously it was the entrance to the crypts and Thorrne started towards it, quickening her pace when she noticed the door was open just enough for a little girl to go through..
The crypts were definitely foreboding. Thorrne cautiously made her way down the long corridors, glad she had her halberd. She would have cast dancing lights, but knew it would be better to rely on her more elven eyesight, as creating a light source would alert anything hostile to her presence. Thorrne paused every now and again to listen, and was rewarded after a bit of a walk to the faint sounds of a little girl sobbing. Knowing it had to be Naomi, Thorrne sprinted down the hall. Not long after, Thorrne found her, huddled in a corner, sobbing into her hands. Thorrne ran right up to her and knelt in front of her. "Naomi, are you okay?" Thorrne asked, looking for any signs of harm done to the girl.
"W-who are you and how do you know my name?" Naomi startled, looking even more terrified. Thorrne cooed soothingly at her, Naomi relaxing ever so slightly.
"It's alright, I'm a friend. Your brother asked me to come and take you home. These crypts are no place for a child to play in." Thorrne stood and offered her hand to the little girl, who was reluctant at first, but ended up grabbing onto Thorrne as if she were afraid she'd disappear if she let go. "I'm Thorrne by the way. Ready to go home?"
"Tyler sent you?" Naomi asked, relief evident on her small, round face. She'd been scared and cold, afraid to move least the shadow came back to carry her away forever. Now though, sh felt better, this Thorrne lady calming her for some reason. Thorrne's hand was warm and safe feeling, and Naomi couldn't help but return the bright smile the older woman gave her. "But what about the shadow? It said I can't leave." Thorrne scoffed some at that.
"Well, I for one don't listen to mean old shadows." Thorrne replied as they walked, the halls getting brighter the closer they got to the entrance. "So don't be afraid, I'll keep you safe."
"Oh but you should fear, child..." an unnatural voice hissed, the light around them dimming. Naomi screamed and held onto Thorrne as tightly as she could. Thorrne looked about and saw two glowing red orbs in the middle of a mass of darkness. It moved and Thorrne made out the spindly, humanoid form of a Shade. It lurched closer, Thorrne brandishing her halberd at it. The shade hissed out a cold laugh. "Hand over the child, girl, and I will let you leave unharmed..."
"You can go fall off a cliff." Thorrne replied, keeping herself in between the shade and Naomi. She knew there was little to no way she could defeat the shade, but if she kept it distracted then Naomi could escape. "I'm not letting you have her, you horrid thing!"
"What a foolish child you are, girl..." The shade whispered, sliding across the floor to lurk just in front of the defiant half-elf. It could feel the intense fear dripping off Naomi, but this one...for some reason there was little to no fear coming from her. The shade chortled, excited by the thought of how much fear would ooze from her once she realized she had no power against it. It reared up and loomed over the two, the older female bracing for combat. It was much the scene of two mice staring up at a snake that was poised to strike, and the shade reveled in it's inevitable conquest. With sudden swiftness the shade struck down, Thorrne somehow bringing her halberd up to block the attack, the shade momentarily stunned that she had done so.
"Naomi! Run! I'll hold it off!" Thorrne cried, blocking another swipe from the shade. Naomi didn't hesitate to do as told, sprinting as fast as she could towards the exit and screaming as loud as possible.
"NO!" The shade screamed, trying to race after Naomi, stopping as Thorrne brought her halberd down upon it. The weapon passed through it, Thorrne blinking in surprise.
"Oh gods..." Thorrne breathed, looking past the shade to see Naomi disappear outside. She yelled triumphantly, but the air was robbed from her as the Shade touched her. Thorrne suddenly felt cold and weak, almost dropping her halberd but she managed to to keep her grip. Mustering up strength, she swung again, the shade easily dodging and hitting her again. Thorrne let out a sob, doing her damnedest to push the shade back. She knew if she failed now, the monster would go after Naomi again.
"You had your chance, girl..." The shade hissed menacingly. "You meddled in my master's affairs and now you must pay for it!" the shade went to strike one last time, but there was a flash of light that blinded both combatants. Thorrne heard the shade shriek, unsure of what was happening. She felt a hand gently touch her shoulder, warmth and strength returning to her. Her vision cleared and a voice spoke to her.
"leave this place, child, Run and do not look back." Thorrne needed no more coaxing and she turned and fled, the crypts' door slamming shut behind her. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, looking up as she heard a commotion. Naomi and Tyler were at the gate, carrying on hysterically as Galvin and a much older man came through, telling the children to stay where they were. Naomi saw Thorrne and called out to her, and Thorrne tried to sit u[, wincing as she moved. Galvin was instantly by her side, seeing if she was alright.
"Miss Thorrne, are you alright?" Galvin asked, helping her stand and giving her a concerned look. She had torn herself up when she fell, but other than that seemed to be okay.
"yes, I'm fine. What about Naomi?" Thorrne asked, looking shaken but was more worried about the child than herself.
"She is fine, all thanks to you as we were told." The older man walked up, putting a soothing hand on Thorrne's bare shoulder. He was wise and kind looking, and Thorrne noted he wore the robes of a mage, a holy symbol of Solicious about his neck. He smiled, nodding at her look of recognition. "We will see that the children return home safely. You are lucky to have escaped unscathed as you have, praises be to our Lord of Knowledge for that. Come my dear, the temple is just this way past the gate. I want to make sure no true damage was done." With that the old priest led her away, Naomi and Tyler being led home by Galvin, who had stern words prepared for both and an explaination ready for their parents.